Trump says Iran war will end ‘pretty soon,’ calls Strait of Hormuz ‘sort of open’

President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the war with Iran would end "very soon" and described the Strait of Hormuz as "sort of open right now," while pushing back against reports that he had confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over munitions shortages constraining U.S. military options.

Trump's Oval Office Remarks

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he was personally involved in negotiations to restore shipping through the strait and expressed confidence in a resolution. "I don't think they can go much longer," he said, referring to Iran's capacity to sustain the conflict. He acknowledged that mines and other threats remained a concern but said talks were progressing.mediaite

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States had "massive quantities" of munitions and that defense contractors were building more manufacturing plants "than at any other time in the country's history." He warned Iran would face "a very hard" strike if the strait was not reopened soon.sana

The remarks followed a Washington Post report, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Trump had confronted Hegseth during a Camp David Cabinet meeting last week after learning that shortages of long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors had not been resolved. The report said the shortages factored into Trump's decision to hold back from launching additional large-scale strikes. Hegseth reportedly blamed Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for the gaps. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report "100% fake news," and Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth "did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture."tribune

Diplomatic Efforts and the Strait

Iran and Oman are in the final stages of drafting a 60-day temporary shipping arrangement for the strait, according to Reuters, under which inbound vessels would transit Iranian-controlled waters and outbound ships would use an Omani-controlled channel. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told IRNA that talks with Oman had "reached fundamental understandings" and were "on the verge of being finalised."tribune

However, Iran's state news agency indicated Thursday that the arrangement would not constitute a full reopening of the waterway. A senior Iranian official separately denied that any direct talks with the United States were underway regarding the strait.scrippsnews+1

Broader Context

The conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, has disrupted roughly one-fifth of global daily oil supply transiting the strait. Brent crude prices have fallen sharply from peaks near $126 per barrel in early May to around $78, reflecting easing geopolitical risk premiums. At his Las Vegas rally Wednesday evening, Trump said gasoline prices would "go down to the floor" once the situation with Iran is resolved and reiterated that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon."sahi+1

As of August 5, U.S. Central Command said American forces had redirected 48 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two as part of the ongoing naval blockade. A tanker also reported hearing two explosions off Oman's coast while transiting the strait on Thursday, though no damage was reported.tribune