US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he does not believe a full-blown conflict with Iran will erupt following the mutual military strikes between the two countries, indicating that the situation will end quickly.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara after the NATO summit, Trump said: "I don't think it will start again. I think it will end very quickly. They targeted two ships, so we hit them back much harder."

He added: "Whatever happens will end very quickly, and it will only make the situation safer, including for oil."

In the same context, Trump reiterated his statements that Iran is targeting him personally, saying: "I am at the top of Iran's target list."

"We will hit them hard tonight"

Before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump threatened new US strikes on Iran, saying: "We will hit them hard tonight… They violate the agreement every day," hours after he announced that the ceasefire with Tehran had ended.

Mutual escalation

The United States launched strikes on more than 80 targets inside Iran on Tuesday, in response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran retaliated on Wednesday by announcing attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

In a parallel escalatory step, the United States canceled the temporary lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil following the attacks on ships.

The two sides exchange accusations of violating the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17, which was concluded to end the war that broke out on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.