President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is not feeling pressure to quickly conclude the ongoing conflict with Iran, even as negotiations remain uncertain and fuel prices continue to stay high worldwide.

“For those people, fewer in number now than ever before, that are reading The Failing New York Times, or watching Fake News CNN, that think that I am ‘anxious’ to end the War (if you would even call it that!) with Iran, please be advised that I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position,” he wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!”

His comments signal no defined timeline for ending the standoff, which is nearing the two-month mark. Although active fighting has largely subsided following a ceasefire Trump extended indefinitely earlier in the week, there is still no clear resolution in sight.

During congressional hearings on Wednesday, administration officials avoided offering estimates for when energy prices might ease. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers have privately indicated that reaching 60 days of conflict could become a critical point in determining their continued backing.

A key factor shaping the situation is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. As U.S. naval forces work to locate and remove mines from the waterway, Trump earlier Thursday instructed the Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats still laying explosives in the strait.

Concerns have grown that clearing the mines could take an extended period. While Trump did not provide a timeline for reopening the shipping lane, he reiterated that any vessels continuing such activity should be confronted.

“There is to be no hesitation,” he wrote in an earlier social media post. “Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”

Earlier this week, Trump extended the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, while also maintaining a blockade on Iranian shipping in the strait.

Following a joint U.S.-Israel operation against Tehran in February, Iran significantly reduced traffic through the vital corridor, driving oil prices sharply higher.

The continued blockade has further strained relations, with Tehran suspending peace discussions until restrictions on its shipping are lifted.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump acknowledged that Americans may continue to face higher gas prices in the short term but suggested the broader objective justifies the cost.

“You know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon,” he said.

While no new negotiations have been scheduled, Trump indicated earlier in the week that it was “possible” talks could resume as soon as this weekend.

Analysts warn that any damage to vessels from remaining mines could further disrupt global trade through the strait.

The White House has sought to minimize concerns about Iran’s maritime capabilities, even after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two foreign vessels in the waterway on Wednesday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the incidents did not violate the ceasefire and pointed to them as evidence of the effectiveness of U.S. military operations.

“And for the American media who is sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president’s facts — that he has completely obliterated Iran’s conventional Navy — these two ships were taken by speedy gunboats,” she said. “Iran has gone from having the most lethal Navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates.”

Trump has also emphasized in recent days the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran’s military strength.

“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the Sea, their Air Force is demolished, their Anti Aircraft and Radar Weaponry is gone, their leaders are no longer with us, the Blockade is airtight and strong and, from there, it only gets worse — Time is not on their side!” he wrote on Thursday.

{Matzav.com}