WASHINGTON/TEHRAN - US President Donald Trump has told aides that he's willing to end the US-Israeli war with Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday night, citing Trump administration officials.

Trump and his aides recently assessed that a mission to pry open the crucial global energy waterway would push the war with Iran beyond his timeline of four to six weeks, said the report. 

'A new group'

Trump suggested in a media interview on Monday that the White House will find out whether Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is willing to work with the United States "in about a week."

"We're gonna find out," Trump told The New York Post in an exclusive interview. "I'll let you know that in about a week."

Trump described a dramatic shake-up inside Iran, claiming Iran's old leadership has effectively been wiped out and replaced by a new group he said has so far been easier to work with, according to a report from The New York Post based on the interview.

"There has been total regime change because the regimes of the past are gone and we're dealing with a whole new set of people," Trump claimed. "And thus far, they've been much more reasonable."

Meanwhile, Trump repeatedly urged Iran to make a deal "before it's too late."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing on Monday that Trump hopes to reach a deal with Iran by April 6, which is the new deadline Trump set last week after postponing airstrikes on Iran's energy facilities.

Leavitt also said that Iranian officials negotiating with Washington appear more reasonable, but refused to name them.

Arab countries 'to share war cost'

Trump "would be quite interested" in calling on Arab countries to help pay for the costs related to the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, Leavitt said on Monday.

"I won't get ahead of him (Trump) on that," Leavitt said at a White House press briefing. "But certainly it's an idea that I know that he has and something that I think you'll hear more from him on."

Pentagon officials told the US Congress earlier this month that the Trump administration spent more than $11.3 billion in the first six days of its war against Iran.

The figure does not include battle damage and replacement of losses, which likely costs the Pentagon roughly $1.4 billion to $2.9 billion over the first three weeks of the war, according to a Wall Street Journal report, quoting Elaine McCusker, former Pentagon budget official who has been tracking the cost for the American Enterprise Institute. 

IRGC Navy commander

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday offered condolences over the death of Alireza Tangsiri, chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, the official news agency IRNA reported.

In a message, Khamenei described Tangsiri as a "brave commander" who "attained martyrdom after years of struggle."

The IRGC confirmed in a statement on Monday that Tangsiri, 64, died from severe injuries sustained while on duty, saying he was "organizing and strengthening his forces and beefing up the country's defensive shield along the islands and coastlines targeted by hostile forces."

Preconditions to end the war

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that any decision to end the war will be based solely on preconditions that protect the nation's dignity, security, and interests.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Pezeshkian addressed the country's "sensitive" circumstances amid US and Israeli attacks, emphasizing that maintaining consistent and effective public services is a key pillar of national stability until ultimate victory is achieved, according to a statement from his office.

He praised the Iranian armed forces for their bravery in defending the country and safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Europe criticised for silence over attacks on Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday accused some European countries of remaining silent about "brutal attacks against the Iranian people" while focusing only on the conflict's economic impact.

Araghchi spoke by phone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss the fallout from recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and rising regional tensions, according to a statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry.