Trump says US ‘not ready to leave Iran yet,’ but will in ‘very near future’

President assails NATO allies for not helping secure Strait of Hormuz; asked about his day-after plan for Iran, he says US will ‘try to get people that are going to run it well’

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the US would not be fighting Iran for “much longer,” but declined to give a clear timeline, as he disparaged NATO for not doing more to help.

Speaking at a White House lunch, Trump said he had decided to take a “little excursion” from improving the economy,” adding: “A couple of weeks. It won’t be much longer.”

It was unclear whether he meant that the excursion had lasted a couple of weeks, or that it would last for a couple of weeks longer.

He joked, as he had before, that his “biggest problem” after killing so many of Iran’s leaders is that “We don’t know who to deal with.”

Earlier, in the Oval Office during the St. Patrick’s Day visit of Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Trump was asked what his day-after plan was for Iran.

He responded that if the US were to end the war, it would take Iran 10 years to rebuild, and that Iran’s “actual top leader was killed yesterday,” in an apparent reference to Israel’s claim that it had killed powerful national security chief Ali Larijani.

Trump said. “We’re not ready to leave yet, but we will be leaving in the… pretty much, the very near future.”

He remained vague about his political plan for the country after the war, saying merely: “We’re going to try to get people that are going to run it well.”

Trump reiterated his disappointment with NATO over its members’ refusal to heed the US request to help secure the Iran-blocked Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump had written on Truth Social that “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!” He singled out Japan, Australia and South Korea.

“NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” he told reporters. “I’ve long said that I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So this was a great test.”

Still, Trump insisted that Washington was ready to go it alone against Iran, saying that even NATO allies had agreed that the Islamic Republic needed to be confronted over its nuclear program.

“We don’t need too much help. We don’t need any help,” Trump said.

Pressed on whether there will be repercussions for NATO over its members’ refusal to heed the US call, Trump responded, “I have nothing currently in mind.”

He repeated his criticisms of foreign counterparts over the issue, saying British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “hasn’t been supportive, and I think it’s a big mistake.” Of French President Emmanuel Macron, he merely said that “he’ll be out of office soon.”

The US leader had suggested on Monday that both Paris and London would be ready to help, and said other countries he did not name were already on board.

But Macron insisted Tuesday that France would not participate in operations to open the strait in the current context, but once the situation becomes “calmer” it could participate in an “escort system” alongside other nations. Britain has also waved off Washington’s request for assistance.

The US has also asked Mideastern allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz but none of them have publicly agreed to do so either.

Asked about this, Trump praised those countries’ conduct, without confirming that they’ve agreed to join a US-led initiative in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Qatar has been great. UAE has been absolutely great. Saudi Arabia has been terrific. Bahrain has been very good. The Middle Eastern countries have been very strong in their support. And of course, Israel has been our partner,” he said. “Israel has been very, very strong, along with us.”

Asked if he was concerned about Iranian warnings that a US ground operation in Iran would turn into a Vietnam War-like scenario, Trump said, “I’m really not afraid of anything.”