US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was nearing the completion of military objectives in Iran, and was considering winding down operations in the Middle East.
Trump listed five goals he said were close to being achieved on his social media platform Truth Social, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities, destroying its defense industrial base, eliminating its navy and air force, preventing Iran from ever approaching nuclear capability and protecting US allies in the region including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Kuwait.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration had anticipated from the outset that the operation would last four to six weeks, and noted it is entering its third week, hinting that the military campaign may end in as soon as a week. US forces are doing "an exceptional job," she said on US social media company X.
Leavitt claimed that Iran is being "crippled day by day," and Trump remained focused on "total and complete victory."
However, amid the public statements, a US official told Axios that Trump's post did not signal an immediate end to the war. "He just said we are getting close," said the official, suggesting strikes would continue for "a couple of weeks."
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would need to be "guarded and policed" by nations that relied on it for oil, not the US. He said Washington would help if asked, but suggested it would not be necessary "once Iran’s threat is eradicated," suggesting it would be an easy military operation for other countries to carry out.
The US has continued to build up its military presence in the region, with additional ships and Marines deploying to the Middle East, a move that does not signal an approaching end to the military campaign.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.