Trump Announces US-Israel War Against Iran Could Be Long
US President Donald Trump has warned that American military operations against Iran could potentially last considerably longer than initially anticipated. The statement was made by Trump at the White House on Monday, 2 March 2026, local time.
In his first public comments since the military operation was launched, Trump outlined four primary objectives of the attack, named “Operation Epic Fury.” He also indicated that the initial projections for the duration of the conflict could exceed the original plans.
“From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to sustain far longer than that,” Trump said, according to AFP.
However, he added that the US is “far ahead of our timeline projection,” referring to the deaths of several senior Iranian leaders in initial waves of strikes on Saturday.
Trump affirmed four main targets of the operation: destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, eliminating its navy, ensuring Tehran never acquires nuclear weapons, and halting Iranian support for armed groups outside its territory.
“This is the last and best opportunity,” Trump stated.
In other developments, Trump’s previous statements have been viewed as inconsistent. In an interview with the New York Post, he did not rule out deploying ground troops to Iran.
“I’m not nervous about deploying ground troops. Every president says there will be no ground troops. I’m not saying that,” Trump said.
To CNN, he also hinted at greater escalation. “The big wave hasn’t even happened yet. The big wave is coming soon,” he remarked.
Trump’s silence at the beginning of the operation, without a major national address or press conference, prompted criticism from some supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement who recalled his promise to avoid new wars. Responding to such criticism, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump had established “clear objectives.”
To date, US and Israeli forces have reportedly struck hundreds of targets in Iran, including missile facilities, the navy, and command and control centres. Although the US government has stated the war is limited in scope, some analysts question whether Washington has sufficient ammunition to sustain a prolonged conflict against Iran, which is considered resilient.