Trump says war with Iran 'will not restart,' vows quick end to hostilities

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday (local time) that he does not believe war with Iran "will restart," predicting that the recent exchange of military strikes between the two sides will not lead to the collapse of the truce or the resumption of full-scale conflict.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said "it will go fast" in reference to ongoing strikes against Iran, and went on to say that "they attacked a few ships" passing through the Strait of Hormuz and "we hit them back harder." While confirming the possibility of further strikes that night, he said, "We are not looking for a long war."

Trump had earlier signaled additional strikes during bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying, "Last night we hit them hard, and we will probably hit them hard again on the night of July 9 — Thursday." His remarks at the press conference suggested that even if airstrikes resume, they would be short-lived.

Concerns have emerged that follow-on negotiations to a ceasefire memorandum of understanding between the two sides could be derailed, after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, the United States launched retaliatory airstrikes on Tuesday, and Iran struck US military bases in the Middle East on Wednesday.

Trump said "whatever happens, it will end very fast," adding that it "will only make everything safer, including oil."

He went on to say, "Oil prices are dropping like a rock right now. They may go up a little" because of the clashes with Iran, "but this situation will end very fast." He also claimed that crude oil is currently in oversupply because "we got all the ships out" of the Strait of Hormuz, and predicted that "prices will fall further."

Trump said he had thought Iran's new leadership was "reasonable," but that their behavior over the past week or two showed otherwise. "I'm not sure they want to make a deal. Let's just get it done," he said, suggesting he could declare negotiations finished.

"I think they're a little bit crazy," he said, warning that "there's another leadership in now, but they can disappear too." He added, "I can disappear too — I'm their No. 1 target for assassination," and said, "I am their No. 1 target because they are garbage."

Trump had earlier called Iran's leadership "garbage, disgusting people" in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and was reported to have said the ceasefire memorandum of understanding appeared to be "over."

At a NATO working session, Trump expressed satisfaction, saying members had discussed "how much progress other countries have made toward the 5 percent" defense spending target as a share of gross domestic product, and that "they are making strong progress."

He said much of the increased defense spending by NATO members would go toward purchasing American weapons, which he expected would translate into greater investment and job creation in the United States.

On the question of selling fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Turkey, the host country of the summit, Trump said "we haven't fully decided yet" whether to proceed. He signaled he was leaning toward approval, saying his thinking was: "Look, he" — referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — "has done everything he can do and has helped us in many ways."