President Donald Trump said on March 2 that the U.S. military operation in Iran is expected to last four to five weeks and is progressing ahead of schedule.
During a White House event to present the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army veterans, Trump said the mission is focused on dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities, crippling its naval forces, preventing the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and stopping the regime from funding and directing proxy forces beyond its borders.
According to Trump, U.S. strikes have already destroyed 10 Iranian vessels and significantly degraded the country’s missile infrastructure, including its ability to manufacture new systems.
“This was our last, best chance to strike—what we’re doing right now—and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.
He added that the operation will continue for as long as necessary.
“Whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes,” he said, dismissing suggestions that he is seeking a quick resolution.
In an interview with The Atlantic on March 1, Trump said he is ready to talk with the new Iranian leadership.
Trump has also declined to rule out deploying U.S. ground troops inside Iran.
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground,” he told the New York Post. “I don’t say there will be no boots on the ground. I say we probably don’t need them—unless they’re necessary.”
The United States launched the operation on Feb. 28 in coordination with Israel, targeting senior Iranian leadership and military infrastructure.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials were killed during the strikes.
Iran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Gulf states, and U.S. assets in the region.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that at least 555 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the U.S.–Israeli campaign.
In Israel, Iranian missile strikes have killed 11 people.
The Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah also launched attacks against Israel, prompting Israeli strikes in Lebanon that have killed more than two dozen people.
U.S. officials have confirmed that four U.S. service members have been killed in the operation.
Additional fatalities have been reported elsewhere in the region, including three in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Speaking at the Pentagon on March 2, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the military campaign against Iran is not a repeat of the Iraq War.
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said, arguing that the current mission differs fundamentally from the nation-building efforts of the past two decades. “This is the opposite.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
