Trump asserts Iran war could last ‘four to five weeks’ or longer, vows US has capacity to extend

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Monday, March 2, suggested the war with Iran could last a month or longer, saying the US military was prepared to sustain operations beyond initial projections if necessary.

“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it’s ok,” Trump said during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, where he honored four service members killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes over the weekend. 

“Whatever it takes, right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,” the president added.

Trump dismissed concerns about readiness or fatigue, pushing back on suggestions that he could lose interest if the conflict dragged on. “I don’t get bored,” he said. “There’s nothing boring about it.”

Trump outlines ‘Epic Fury’ objectives 

The president said the four-week plan to remove Iran’s military leadership had already been completed. “And as you know, that was done in about an hour,” he said. “So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot.”

Trump detailed four primary objectives of the US military operation known as 'Epic Fury'. These were: Degrading Iran’s missile capabilities, destroying Iran’s navy, ensuring Iran could never obtain a nuclear weapon, and containing proxy forces by preventing Tehran from continuing to "arm, fund, and direct ... armies outside of their borders."

He said the military stood ready to continue the campaign for “as long as necessary.”

Trump defends timing of the strikes 

Trump defended the timing of the strikes, calling it "our last best chance" to neutralize threats from Tehran after diplomatic efforts failed. “We thought we had a deal, and they backed out,” he said.

Negotiations took place in Geneva, where Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told American counterparts that Iran had an “inalienable right” to enrich uranium, according to a senior administration official.

In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump said that he ordered the attack when Iran “wasn’t willing to stop their nuclear research.”

Trump doesn't rule out 'boots on the ground' 

While some US military leaders said the war would not be “endless,” the mission's full scope and duration remained unclear. Trump floated varying timelines in recent days.

Earlier Monday, he declined to rule out sending US troops into Iran. However, in an interview with the New York Post, Trump suggested that combat forces could be deployed if needed.

“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground, like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” he said.

In the same interview, however, Trump predicted the operation would go “pretty quickly.”