Trump sends 5,000 marines to Middle East with a warning: ‘I’ll end this war when I feel it in my bones, okay?’

Defiant Donald Trump has vowed the war will end ‘as soon as I feel it’ as Iran continues to attack its neighbours.

For the first time since the start of the conflict, the US will ‘put its shoes down’ with up to 5,000 US Marines deployed from Japan to the Middle East.

The US President said he would make a personal decision on when to de-escalate the conflict as drone strikes target Dubai’s financial district.

As the struggle expands into global economic uncertainty, the administration is under increasing pressure to set a deadline.

Last night, cracks emerged in Western alliances as Germany criticized US policy, while France and Italy began talks with Iran to allow their ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the White House’s decision to relax sanctions on Russian energy products. The US move in response to Iran’s blockade of the Bosphorus could add $10bn (£7.5bn) to Russia’s war chest.

Concerns about how Vladimir Putin will benefit from the conflict lie behind Britain’s calls to reduce tensions.

Faced with questions about when the war might end, Mr. Trump told Fox News that it would end “whenever I feel like it, okay?” ‘I feel it in my bones’.

In a separate interview, the President paid tribute to his country’s military and said it was ‘a war for Iran’ but the conflict was more of a ‘trip for the United States.’

He said: ‘It was incredible. The job they do. I’d say it’s well ahead of schedule, to say the least. we knocked out [Iran’s] navy, their army.

‘We overthrew almost everything, including their leadership.

‘The market is in good shape. We took a bit of a hit, but probably less than I thought. We will be back on our way in a very short time. Prices are falling very seriously. Oil will fall.

‘It turned out to be easier for us than we thought. They have no radar. Their leaders are gone. ‘We are letting go of some things, they will never be able to rebuild that country.’

Once Iran’s air defenses are completely eliminated, US and Israeli jets can hover over the country and drop munitions with impunity.

The dominance of the sky accelerated the tempo of operations, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying yesterday that there was a 20 percent increase.

But the Pentagon could not prevent Iran from threatening its neighbors, striking Israel and attacking Dubai’s financial district.

This attack follows Iran’s warning earlier this week that it would target ‘economic centers and banks’ in the region, especially those linked to Israel and the US.

Many large companies had already begun reducing staff levels and closing offices in Dubai.

The United Arab Emirates has been the target of more than 1,500 drones and 300 missiles since the conflict began. To protect Dubai’s image, locals who posted images of the damage were interrogated by the country’s security services.

So far, 6 people have died and 130 people have been injured in the UAE. Most of the drones and missiles were fired in the first two days.

But even much smaller quantities of munitions could damage Dubai’s profile as a safe hub for global trade.

Smoke rises after an explosion as participants carry Iranian flags and banners during the World Quds Day march in Tehran, Iran, on March 13, 2026.

In another blow to economies around the world, US military chiefs were forced to admit yesterday that they could not escort cargo ships and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz; This situation will not be alleviated for another two weeks.

Mr. Hegseth insisted that the United States planned for Iran to blockade the Strait. However, there was no American maritime presence in the area to protect the ships last night. And earlier this year the Royal Navy withdrew its only minesweeper in the area for routine maintenance. The UK has uncrewed anti-drone systems, which are only located in Bahrain.

The Minister of War said: ‘We planned for this. We recognize this because ultimately we want to do this in the order that makes the most sense for what we want to achieve.

‘When we do this we want to send the right signals to the world. ‘We achieve the goals we want to achieve, we do not expand the conflict, we narrow it down.’

The crisis persuaded the Pentagon to deploy a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance unit based in Japan to the Middle East.

The first US ‘shoes on the ground’ are expected to arrive later this month. USS Tripoli has sailed from Japan and other ships will be redeployed from the Pacific.

Meanwhile, Iranian leaders, except for the newly appointed Supreme Leader, mocked the United States by riding motorcycles and celebrating Quds Day in Tehran.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian was seen riding pillion on a motorcycle in the capital, surrounded by slogan-chanting crowds.

Pezeshkian was joined by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as police chief Ahmadreza Radan and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammed Eslami.

The group took selfies with the crowd in what appeared to be a government-organized event.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s national security council, told state media reporters accompanying the parade: ‘Trump’s problem is that he does not understand that the Iranian nation is smart and determined.’

However, the mood of defiance was shattered by an explosion as American and Israeli bombs fell nearby, but no leaders were injured. War Minister Hegseth mocked Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has not been seen since the explosion that killed his father, mother, wife and other relatives.

Hegseth said: ‘They hide underground. That’s what mice do. They can barely communicate, let alone coordinate. “They’re confused and we know it.”