President Donald Trump has projected that the United States could conclude its military engagement in Iran within a mere three weeks, with a stern warning that he intends to dismantle “every single thing” that Iran possesses.
Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump asserted, “We’ll be leaving very soon,” as he outlined a tentative schedule for the operation’s conclusion.
The President suggested that the mission could wrap up “within two weeks, maybe a few days longer to complete the job. But we aim to dismantle every single asset they have.”
Trump insisted that military actions would cease only when the U.S. believes Iran has been effectively pushed back to a primitive state, adding that reaching a formal agreement is not a prerequisite for ending hostilities.
However, he cautioned that if diplomatic efforts fall through, military strikes remain a possibility.
“We have some specific targets in mind, including several key bridges,” Trump remarked, indicating potential strategic targets.
More than 11,000 targets have been struck across Iran since the start of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said
Trump vowed that his goal of ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon has been achieved.
“Maybe in a long time from now, [they’ll be] able to do a nuclear weapon, you’ll have a president [who] will be like me, and he will go there and knock the hell out of them again,” he added.
The president claimed regime change was also achieved, despite suggesting that it was not one of the primary aims.
“Now, regime change was not one of the things I had as a goal,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested the US could see the “finish line” when it comes to its Iranian operation.
“We can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, but it is coming,” he told Fox News star Sean Hannity on Tuesday.
Rubio claimed Iran was trying to become the next North Korea, armed with intercontinental missiles that could pose a serious threat to the US.
“They were aiming to become the next North Korea, except not a North Korea run by a regime that is troublesome and hard to understand, but an Iran run by radical Shia clerics with intercontinental missiles that could reach the mainland of the United States eventually,” he said.
Rubio also suggested that there is potential for a direct meeting between the US and Iran.
“There are messages being exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the potential for direct meeting at some point,” he said.
Iran has consistently denied reports that its negotiators are talking with the US.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the US will negotiate with bombs until Iran comes to the table.
“We don’t want to have to do more militarily than we have to, but I didn’t mean it flippantly when I said in the meantime we’ll negotiate with bombs,” he said.
“Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge, is in a better place if they make a deal.”
Iran emphatically rejected Washington’s 15-point plan for a ceasefire.
The regime would’ve been forced to commit to never producing a nuke and decommission three of its key nuclear facilities, Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, under the plan.
Iran would’ve also been banned from funding its proxies and also limited in its use of missiles.
With Post wires
