‘War is very complete’ but ‘we haven’t won enough’: What Trump has to say on Iran war, its duration, and the new Supreme Leader

“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump said in an interview with CBS News, adding that the campaign was “very far ahead” of the four-to-five-week timeline he had earlier suggested.

Trump claimed Iran’s military capability had been heavily damaged during the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.

“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” Trump said, adding that Iranian missiles and drones had also been largely destroyed.

Here’s what all Trump said:

• War Status: Trump claims the war is “very complete, pretty much” and the US is “very far ahead of schedule”.
• Iranian Oil: Trump leaves open the prospect of acquiring Iranian oil, saying “certainly people have talked about it”.
• Military Operation: Trump describes the US involvement as a “short-term” operation to “get rid of some very evil people”.
• Success and Objectives: Trump says “we’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough”, aiming for an “ultimate victory”.
• Iran’s New Leader: Trump is “not happy” with Mojtaba Khamenei, but doesn’t specify a preferred alternative.
• Nuclear Weaponry: Trump wants to ensure Iran can’t develop nuclear weapons “for a very long time”.
• Remaining Targets: The US still has targets in Iran, which could be taken out “in one day”.
• War Timeline: Trump expects the war to be over “very soon.

US says thousands of targets hit

At a press briefing later, Trump said US forces had struck thousands of targets inside Iran. According to his remarks, more than 5,000 sites linked to Iran’s military infrastructure had been attacked, including facilities involved in the production of drones.

He said the United States knew the locations where Iran manufactures drones and that these sites were being targeted one after another. Trump added that the remaining targets could be destroyed quickly if needed.

“We could take them all out in one day,” he said, adding that some of the most important targets had been left untouched for the moment.

Trump also said Washington still had options to strike major infrastructure in Iran, including electricity production facilities, but suggested the US was holding back for now.

“We’ve left some of the most important targets for later,” he said, explaining that such strikes could take years for Iran to recover from.

Trump says US has not yet achieved final goal

Despite repeatedly saying the campaign had made significant progress, Trump also indicated that the United States had not yet fully achieved its objectives.

“We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” he told Republican lawmakers during a meeting in Florida.

Trump said the military operation would only end once Iran no longer had the ability to threaten the United States, Israel or other American allies in the region for a long time.

He also described the US role in the conflict as a limited operation. Speaking to lawmakers, Trump said the United States had entered what he called a “short-term” military mission aimed at removing “some very evil people”.

War could end soon

At the same time, the president said the war could end soon.

“The war will be over very soon,” Trump told reporters, while maintaining that US forces were continuing to target Iranian military sites.

Trump also commented on Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, saying he had “no message” for him and expressing dissatisfaction with his selection as the country’s leader.

The conflict began after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets earlier this month and has since led to retaliatory attacks across the region, raising concerns about a wider war in the Middle East.