Iran operations may last 4-5 weeks, could go much longer: Donald Trump

Trump said the US military "continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran"

US President Donald Trump, in his first public remarks since the start of military operations, on Monday said the decision to strike Iran was driven by concerns that Tehran “would have missiles capable of reaching America.”

 

Trump stated that the US military “continues to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran.” He added that the operation could last for “four to five weeks.”

 

He further said that the United States could extend the campaign if required. “We have capability to go far longer than that,” he said, adding, “I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this.” He made similar remarks in an earlier interview with the Daily Mail.

 

 

During the event, which included a Medal of Honor ceremony, Trump momentarily diverted from the subject of the conflict to discuss changes to the White House interiors and plans for a ballroom. “I picked those drapes in my first term,” he said, adding, “I always liked gold.”

 

Trump defended the joint US–Israeli offensive, describing it as necessary to counter what he characterised as an escalating threat.

 

“This was our last best chance to strike and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” he said.

 

Outlining the aims of the campaign, Trump said: “The objectives are clear. First, to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities. Second, we’re annihilating their navy; we’ve already knocked out 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon.”

 

He also asserted that “everyone was behind us” in approving the strikes.

 

Referring to past conflicts, Trump claimed that injuries sustained by American personnel were the result of Iranian roadside bombs, stating that “every time you see someone with missing arms or legs” or a face that has been “shattered”, it was likely caused by such devices. He again described the Iranian regime as “sick” and “sinister.”

 

The President criticised the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama and reiterated his 2018 withdrawal from the accord.

 

“That was a horrible, horrible dangerous document,” Trump said, claiming it would have given Iran “nuclear weapons three years ago.”

 

Iran largely adhered to the agreement until the US exit. After Washington withdrew, Tehran was no longer bound by its restrictions, though it did not develop a nuclear weapon.

 

Trump accused the Obama administration of enabling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “They were on the road to getting one legitimately through a deal signed foolishly by our country,” he said.

 

He added: “Finally, we’re ensuring the regime cannot fund or direct armies outside of their borders. We thought we had a deal and then they backed out. Then they came back, we thought we had a deal and they backed out. I said, ‘you can’t deal with these people’.”

 

As the conflict progressed, questions arose within the administration regarding the scope and long-term objectives of the military campaign, particularly around whether regime change formed part of the strategy.