Trump says U.S. will leave Iran in 2 or 3 weeks

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. military will leave Iran in two or three weeks.

"We leave because there's no reason for us to do this," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll become tumbling down," Trump said when asked about his plan for lowering gas prices.

The U.S. president, facing mounting pressure from energy market volatility and investor concerns over a prolonged conflict, has issued a number of conflicting remarks on the timeline of the war since the U.S. and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

Trump said the U.S. and Iran are negotiating, and it's possible that the war will come to an end sooner if the two countries reach a deal.

"It's possible that we'll have a deal because they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal more than I want to make a deal. But in a fairly short period of time, we'll be finished," Trump said.

"Now we have a group of people that's very -- that are very different. They're much more reasonable," Trump added.

Trump reiterated that it will be up to other countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure the crucial global energy waterway.

"If France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, you go up through the strait and -- the Hormuz Strait -- they'll go right up there and they'll be able to fend for themselves," Trump said.