Iran War: Trump talks of Operation Epic Fury's endgame in two-three weeks without Tehran pact, gives D-St hope

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Washington could end its military strikes against Iran under Operation Epic Fury within two to three weeks, adding that Tehran does not need to reach a deal for the conflict to wind down.

"We'll be leaving very soon," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, saying the exit could take place "within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three."

Asked if successful diplomacy with Iran was a prerequisite to the U.S. winding down what it has dubbed "Operation Epic Fury", Trump said it was not.


ALSO READ: Trump's flip-flops on Iran war leave Americans confused

"Iran doesn't have to make a deal, no," he said. "No, they don't have to make a deal with me."

Trump's comments highlighted conflicting signals from Washington on how the war, now in its fifth week, could conclude.

Cheers on D-St

Indian stock markets rebounded sharply on Wednesday, with the Sensex and Nifty rising around 1.6% each on the first trading session of financial year 2027, driven by optimism over a possible de-escalation of the Iran–US-Israel conflict and other supportive global cues.

In early trade, the Sensex surged as much as 2,000 points, while the Nifty briefly crossed the 22,900 mark. However, both benchmarks trimmed gains later in the session before closing higher.

The Sensex ended 1,187 points up at 73,134, while the Nifty advanced 348 points to settle at 22,679.

The rally added significant investor wealth, with the total market capitalisation of companies listed on the BSE increasing by about ₹10 lakh crore to reach ₹422 lakh crore.


ALSO READ: Dow Jones soars 1,125 points, Nasdaq, S&P 3% as Iran war de-escalation seen

Wall Street ended sharply higher on Tuesday, lifted by peace speculation in the Middle East conflict that has sent oil prices soaring and fueled fears of global inflation in recent weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,125.07 points, or 2.49%, to 46,341.21. The S&P 500 gained 185.27 points, or 2.92%, to 6,528.99, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 795.99 points, or 3.83%, to 21,590.63.

Iran's will to end war

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday his country had the "necessary will" to end the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, but was seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.

"We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met -- especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression," Pezeshkian said in a phone conversation with the president of the European Council, according to a statement from his office, reiterating a key demand of Tehran's.

Looming threat

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday night hit back with a new threat against US companies in the region starting on Wednesday.

It listed 18 businesses including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla and Boeing that would be targeted from 8 p.m. Tehran time (1630 GMT).

When asked if he was concerned about threats to the companies, Trump said no. "They don't have much left to threaten," he said of ⁠Iran.

Trump earlier on Tuesday also criticised countries that have not helped ⁠the U.S. war effort, such as Britain.

In a social media post, he said that in response to the global fuel shortage, these countries should buy energy from the U.S. or find "some delayed courage, go to the strait and just TAKE IT".

France and Italy have pushed back against some U.S.-Israeli military operations, sources said, highlighting how divisions between NATO allies have been exposed by the war.

War continues to rage

U.S. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the US military was continuing to strike key manufacturing and research sites and had taken out over 150 Iranian naval vessels.

With attacks showing no sign of easing, Pakistan is seeking to mediate in the war. The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire, urging peace talks to be held as soon as possible after they met in Beijing.

Iran has remained defiant despite heavy U.S. and ‌Israeli attacks for the past month, as neighbors have been pulled into the conflict.

Heavy strikes were reported in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday evening, security sources told Reuters.

Israel's military said it had struck a senior Hezbollah commander and an additional senior fighter in two separate attacks there.

Syrian state television reported that explosions heard in Damascus were the result ⁠of Israeli air defences intercepting Iranian missiles.

A weather station's radar and building in the Iranian port of Bushehr were put out of service on Tuesday after being hit twice in U.S.-Israeli attacks, a regional official told state media.

The Mobarakeh steel plant in the central city of Isfahan was attacked for the second time in a week, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, and parts of the Sefiddasht Steel Complex in the city of Borujen were targeted, according to the Fars news agency.