US President Donald Trump has built a potential off-ramp by suggesting the Iran war could end soon, but the world is still guessing about whether he will take it -- and whether Tehran will let him.
With surging oil prices threatening the global economy and his political fortunes at home, Trump's tone appeared to shift abruptly on Monday as he called the war "very complete" and a "short-term excursion."
kAmqFE E96 fh\J62C\@=5 4@>>2?56C\:?\49:67 4@?E:?F65 E@ D6?5 >:I65 >6DD286D 23@FE H96? E96 H2C 4@F=5 6?5 \\ 2?5 H92E :ED 8@2=D 2C6 \\ =62G:?8 :E 72C 7C@> 4=62C H92E 96 H:== F=E:>2E6=J D6EE=6 7@C]k^Am
kAmu@C %CF>A[ E92E 42=4F=2E:@? H:== 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J :?G@=G6 }@G6>36CVD &$ >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D[ H:E9 82D AC:46D =:<6=J E@ 7F6= G@E6C 2?86C 2E 9:D #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ @G6C E96 4@DE @7 =:G:?8]k^Am
kAm!@==D D@ 72C D9@H 9:DE@C:42==J =@H DFAA@CE 2>@?8 p>6C:42?D 7@C E96 H2C]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< 96VD 8@:?8 E@ <66A 8@:?8 F?E:= 9:D 25G:D6CD E6== 9:> E92E E96 64@?@>:4 A2:? :D 8@:?8 E@ C:D< E96 >:5E6C>D[Q r@=:? r=2C<6[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 $@F72? r6?E6C :? }6H *@C<[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQw6VD 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 2 A@=:E:42= 564:D:@? 23@FE 2 >:=:E2CJ @A6C2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmu@C D@>6[ %CF>AVD 4@>>6?ED @? 2 D9@CE xC2? H2C E:>6=:?6 H6C6 6G:56?46 @7 H92E @3D6CG6CD 92G6 5F3365 E96 %pr~ A96?@>6?@? \\ Q%CF>A p=H2JD r9:4<6?D ~FE]Qk^Am
kAmQ(92E E96J 5:5 4@>>F?:42E6 4=62C=J[ E@ E96 56=:89E @7 >2C<6ED[ H2D E92E %CF>A :D =@@<:?8 7@C 2? 6I:E[Q HC@E6 #@36CE pC>DEC@?8[ E96 u:?2?4:2= %:>6D ;@FC?2=:DE H9@ 7:CDE 4@:?65 E96 E6C> %pr~]k^Am
kAmx? E96 @A6?:?8 52JD @7 E96 &$\xDC26=: DEC:<6D[ %CF>A DF886DE65 E96 H2C 4@F=5 =2DE 7@FC @C 7:G6 H66<D[ 3FE >2C<6ED DFC865 2E 9:D 9:?ED @? |@?52J E92E :E 4@F=5 36 D9@CE6C]k^Am
kAmr=2C<6 D2:5 96 36=:6G65 %CF>A H@F=5 Q8@ 92C5 7@C E96 ?6IE EH@ H66<D E@AD[ E96? E9:?8D 2C6 D@ >6DDJ 96VD 8@:?8 E@ 564=2C6 G:4E@CJ]Qk^Am
k9am\ V(@F?565 2?:>2=V \k^9am
kAm':4E@CJ H:== E96? 36 :? E96 6J6 @7 E96 369@=56C]k^Am
kAmq@E9 %CF>A 2?5 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92G6 AF3=:4=J 8:G6? 2 A2?@A=J @7 D9:7E:?8 8@2=D 7@C E96 H2C[ C2?8:?8 7C@> F?4@?5:E:@?2= DFCC6?56C[ E@ C68:>6 492?86 :? 2== 3FE ?2>6[ E@ D64FC:?8 E96 7=@H @7 vF=7 @:=]k^Am
kAmqFE @? A2A6C :E 92D =:DE65 D@>6 4@C6 >:=:E2CJ @3;64E:G6D \\ 6?DFC:?8 xC2? 92D ?@ ?F4=62C H62A@?[ 6=:>:?2E:?8 :ED 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6D 2?5 :ED ?2GJ[ 2?5 4FC3:?8 :ED C68:@?2= AC@I:6D \\ E92E 4@F=5 36 62D:6C 7@C %CF>A E@ D:8? @77 @?]k^Am
kAm%96 (9:E6 w@FD6 D2:5 @? %F6D52J E92E %CF>A 9:>D6=7 H@F=5 567:?6 H92E QF?4@?5:E:@?2= DFCC6?56CQ >62?E]k^Am
kAmQ!C6D:56?E %CF>A H:== 56E6C>:?6 H96? xC2? :D :? 2 A=246 @7 F?4@?5:E:@?2= DFCC6?56C[ H96? E96J ?@ =@?86C A@D6 2 4C65:3=6 2?5 5:C64E E9C62E E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @7 p>6C:42 2?5 @FC 2==:6D[Q DA@<6DH@>2? z2C@=:?6 {62G:EE E@=5 2 3C:67:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE xC2? H:== =:<6=J D66 2?J DF49 564=2C2E:@? 2D %CF>A 3=:?<:?8 7:CDE]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 D:8?:7:42?E 52>286 7C@> E96 &$\xDC26=: 2:C 42>A2:8?[ %69C2? 92D DE6AA65 FA :ED 567:2?E E@?6 D:?46 %CF>AVD C6>2C<D[ G@H:?8 E@ 3=@4< vF=7 @:= DFAA=:6D 2?5 >@4<:?8 E96 &$ =6256CVD 4=2:>D E@ 36 :? 4@?EC@= @7 E96 E:>6=:?6 @7 E96 4@?7=:4E]k^Am
kAmxDC26= >62?H9:=6 92D :ED @H? E:>6=:?6[ H9:49 %CF>A 2=D@ 92D @?=J =:>:E65 4@?EC@= @G6C] s:776C6?46D 92G6 2=C625J 6>6C865 @G6C 3@E9 E96 =@?8\E6C> 8@2=D 2?5 xDC26=VD DEC:<6D @? xC2?:2? 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6]k^Am
kAmp?5 H9:=6 %CF>A :?D:DED 96 >FDE 92G6 2 C@=6 :? 49@@D:?8 xC2?VD ?6H =6256C[ E96C6 :D ?@ D:8? J6E @7 =2C86\D42=6 :?E6C?2= C6D:DE2?46 E@ DFAC6>6 =6256C pJ2E@==29 |@;E232 z92>6?6:[ 49@D6? 2E E96 H66<6?5 E@ C6A=246 9:D D=2:? 72E96C]k^Am
kAmx7 |@;E232 z92>6?6: 2?5 E96 C68:>6 DFCG:G6[ ~A6C2E:@? tA:4 uFCJ H@F=5 36 QC6>6>36C65 2D E96 |@E96C @7 p== {2H?>@H6CDQ 7@C 92G:?8 @?=J D<:>>65 E96 DFC7246 @7 E9:?8D[ (2=E6C #FDD6== |625 HC@E6 :? %96 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2=]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 4@F=5 E96? =62G6 2? 6G6? >@C6 52?86C@FD D:EF2E:@?[ E96 $@F72? r6?E6CVD r=2C<6 D2:5[ H:E9 2 QCF>A x#vrQ 8@:?8 2== @FE 7@C 2 ?F4=62C 3@>3[ 2?5 E96 C:D< @7 G2C:@FD 6E9:4 8C@FAD =2F?49:?8 2 9F86 :?DFC86?4J :? E96 962CE @7 E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
kAmQx7 :EVD z92>6?6:VD D@? @C 2?@E96C 92C5=:?6C[ H92EVD 5:776C6?EnQ D2:5 r=2C<6]Â k^Am
kAmQxEVD ?@H =:<6 2 H@F?565 2?:>2=[ H9:49 :D 2C8F23=J >@C6 52?86C@FD]QÂ k^Am
kAm5<^56Dk^Am