U.S. President Donald Trump [Washington EPA=Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 31st (local time) that the end of the war with Iran would be "very soon," mentioning a timeframe of "two to three weeks."

At the same time, President Trump indicated a plan for a "unilateral declaration of victory and withdrawal," stating that the war could end even if a peace agreement with Iran is not reached and passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is blockading, does not normalize.

At a ceremony signing executive orders at the White House, President Trump responded to reporters' questions about measures to lower gasoline prices, which have surged domestically, by saying, "All I have to do is leave Iran. We will be leaving very soon. Then the oil prices will plummet."

Since the United States has not yet deployed ground troops to Iran, President Trump's statement about "leaving Iran" is interpreted as an intention to halt attacks on Iran and end the war.

On this day, the average U.S. gasoline price exceeded $4 per gallon (approximately 6,100 won), reaching its highest point since August 2022, when the energy market was volatile due to the war in Ukraine.

President Trump also commented on the New York stock market's largest single-day gain in 10 months, attributing it to the United States being safe despite the ongoing war and a "regime change" occurring in Iran. President Trump has claimed "regime change" following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's former supreme leader, in a joint operation between the U.S. and Israel, with his second son, Mojtaba, succeeding him as supreme leader.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a cause of the surge in international oil prices due to Iran's blockade, President Trump said, "We have nothing to do with that."

"If France or any other country wants oil and gas, they can go directly through the Strait of Hormuz. They can protect themselves," he added.

President Trump's remarks are also seen as a signal that a declaration of the end of the war could be made without the U.S. military fully securing the Strait of Hormuz.

In particular, President Trump stated, "They (Iran) don't need to make a deal with me. We will leave when we think they (Iran) have entered the Stone Age for a long time and cannot possess nuclear weapons."

Ultimately, President Trump's intention is interpreted as ending the war as early as he deems his self-set war objectives have been achieved, regardless of whether a peace or ceasefire agreement is reached with Iran or if the Strait of Hormuz is opened.

In addition, President Trump mentioned the timing of "U.S. troop withdrawal" (ending military operations against Iran) as "probably within two to three weeks," and "within two weeks, perhaps a few more days."

However, he added, "Of course, there is a possibility of concluding negotiations before then. There is a possibility of reaching an agreement because they want an agreement. They want an agreement more than I do. But we can finish it in a pretty short period."

President Trump repeatedly claimed to have eliminated Iran's leadership twice, and described the current negotiating leadership as "very different from before, much more reasonable, and not radical people."

He added, "It doesn't matter whether they come to the negotiating table or not, because we have set them back greatly."