Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Tuesday that it would “determine the end of the war”, rejecting remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the conflict with Iran may soon end.

“We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iranian news agency Tasnim. “The conditions on the battlefield and the end of the war are in the hands of the Islamic Republic.”

Earlier, Mr Trump told U.S. broadcaster CBS News that he considered the war with Iran as largely complete.

“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” he said during a phone interview. “They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones. If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”

Mr Trump added that the U.S. was “very far” ahead of his initial four to five week estimated time frame.

Israeli and U.S. forces attacked Iran at the end of February, targeting the country’s political and military leadership, along with its air defences, navy, air force and other military capabilities.

After the attacks began, Mr Trump said he expected the campaign to last four to five weeks.

At the end of last week, government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt then mentioned a period of four to six weeks. 

(dpa/NAN)