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‘Won’t be difficult': Trump says Iran conflict could last ‘four to five weeks’ amid ongoing Middle East tensions
Trump announced a four to five-week timeline for the military campaign against Iran, asserting that the US and Israel are equipped for sustained operations.
US President Donald Trump said the military campaign against Iran could continue for “four to five weeks,” signaling that Washington and Israel are prepared to sustain their current level of attacks despite rising tensions across the Middle East.
In a brief telephone interview with The New York Times, Trump was asked how long the United States and Israel could maintain the intensity of the assault.
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“Well, we intended four to five weeks,” he responded.
“It won’t be difficult,” Trump added. “We have tremendous amounts of ammunition. You know, we have ammunition stored all over the world in different countries.”
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Casualties
Speaking roughly 36 hours into the conflict, Trump acknowledged the possibility of further American casualties. Referring to early US losses, he said, “Three is three too many as far as I’m concerned.”
He added that projections suggested the number “could be quite a bit higher,” noting, “We expect casualties.”
Despite that, Trump insisted the Pentagon retained sufficient forces and weaponry to continue operations “if we have to.”
He did not address concerns from military strategists about preserving reserves for other potential global flashpoints.
Unclear vision for Iran’s future
Beyond the battlefield timeline, Trump offered varied and at times contradictory ideas about what could follow in Tehran.
At one point, he suggested Iran’s elite military forces, including officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, might “really surrender to the people.”
He also referenced what he described as a successful model in Venezuela, saying, “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is the perfect, the perfect scenario,” implying that a similar approach could work in Iran.
When asked who should lead Iran after the targeted killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump said, “I have three very good choices,” but declined to identify them. “I won’t be revealing them now. Let’s get the job done first.”
While he expressed openness to lifting sanctions if new leadership proved cooperative, he did not commit to how the United States would respond if unrest unfolded inside Iran.
