WASHINGTON/RIYADH – US President Donald Trump said he believed the war against Iran could end “pretty soon,” expressing confidence that Tehran would not be able to sustain the conflict for much longer.
Speaking to reporters about global and US energy prices, Trump said he did not think Iran could continue the war for an extended period.
In a separate post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump praised US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he was very pleased with his performance.
Defending the ongoing military campaign against Iran, Trump said the operation had been “extraordinary” and claimed Iran had suffered significant damage aimed at preventing it from ever acquiring nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized the United States, accusing Washington of following a failed strategy and calling for previous ceasefire commitments to be honored.
In a post on the social media platform X, Ghalibaf appeared to refer to Trump, saying the US first threatened major attacks before later calling for negotiations. He described the approach as repeated dramatic diplomacy and urged the United States to acknowledge realities and fulfill its commitments.
Separately, the Saudi military said Houthi attacks in the southern Najran region near the Yemen border injured 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child.
The attacks occurred hours after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for strikes in central and eastern Yemen that, according to Yemeni officials, killed at least 30 government troops and wounded at least 50 others.
A Houthi leader said the attacks targeted Saudi-backed forces, claiming that hundreds were killed or injured. Yemeni officials said the strikes hit camps belonging to forces of the internationally recognized government in the provinces of Marib and Hadramout.
