WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said that the war with Iran is “close to over,” asserting that if he pulled up stakes right now, it would take Tehran 20 years to rebuild the country.

The president’s comments come hours after the US Central Command said it has successfully blocked all traffic to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas in the first 24 hours of Trump’s blockade, saying the US was supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump told Fox News in an interview that will be telecast later Wednesday.