U.S. President Donald Trump has told associates recently that he wants to avoid a prolonged war in Iran and that he hopes to end the conflict soon, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The president privately informed advisers he believes the conflict is in its final stages, and has urged them to stick to a four-to-six week timeline, the WSJ report, citing people familiar with the matter.
The White House’s planning of a mid-May summit with China also takes this timeline into account, the report said.
The WSJ report comes after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran entered its fourth consecutive week, and showed few signs of easing as Tehran largely rejected U.S. calls for a ceasefire.
Iran signaled earlier on Wednesday that it had no intention of directly negotiating with the U.S., and that it was reviewing a 15-point peace plan proposed by Washington.
Tehran had also proposed its own five-point plan that involves reparations from the U.S. and a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hostilities in the Middle East showed few signs of de-escalation this week with the U.S., Israel, and Iran continuing to trade strikes. Iran also kept the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked, curbing roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
Source: Investing