Trump: War could end in weeks

TEHRAN was rocked by a fresh wave of explosions Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could be over in two or three weeks.

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A PHOTOGRAPH shows damaged buildings following an overnight Israeli airstrike in the Al Hadath neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs.

(AFP)

The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes across Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, quickly mushrooming into a regional war that has sent oil and gas prices soaring and threatened to torpedo the global economy.

But Trump, whose statements on the war have swung from combative to conciliatory, said that the fighting could be over in “two weeks, maybe three”.

The White House said he would give “an important update on Iran” to the nation at 9pm this week.

Tehran has insisted there are no ongoing negotiations with the US, and that it has not responded to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington to end the war.

With the status of diplomatic efforts uncertain, Iranian state television reported that Tehran was under attack yesterday, and explosions were heard in the capital’s north, east and centre.

The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out the strikes, and later said it was intercepting a missile attack from Iran which medics said seriously injured an 11-year-old girl and wounded 13 others.