'Big chess game with very smart players': Trump’s Iran war comments raise questions on endgame

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the war with Iran would be “wrapped up soon” but not within days, even as the number of American troops wounded in the conflict has climbed to about 200.

Speaking at the White House, Trump struck an optimistic tone about the trajectory of the war while acknowledging its complexity.

“I don’t think so. But it will be soon. It’ll be wrapped up soon and we are going to have a much safer world,” Trump said when asked if the conflict could end this week.

Framing the military campaign as necessary, Trump added, “I had an obligation to do this. I called it an excursion, I don’t want to make this a journey.”

He also defended the economic risks tied to the conflict, saying, “You want to see a stock market go down? Start letting them hit you with nukes… It’s a very small price to pay,” while describing the confrontation as “a big chess game at a very high level… the highest,” involving “very smart… and violent people.”

About 200 US troops have been wounded since fighting began, though more than 180 have already returned to duty, reported Associated Press, citing a spokesperson for US Central Command.

Ten service members are considered seriously wounded.

CENTCOM has not disclosed when or where the injuries occurred or provided details on their nature.

In addition to the wounded, 13 US service members have been killed since the start of the war.

Trump’s comments come as his administration faces mounting pressure over both the military campaign and its global repercussions.

The president initially relied heavily on his instincts and limited diplomatic coordination when deciding to launch strikes on Iran alongside Israel.

Now, as economic and geopolitical consequences intensify, the administration is urging allies to help stabilise the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said he has asked roughly half a dozen countries to deploy warships to help reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes. So far, no country has publicly committed to the effort.

“We strongly encourage other nations whose economies depend on the strait far more than ours … we want them to come and help us with the strait,” Trump said, citing countries including Japan, China, South Korea and several in Europe.