Trump Vacillates on Iran Strike as Pentagon Raises Concerns over Prolonged War

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has said that reports suggesting the possibility of a military confrontation with Iran were written incorrectly.

He affirmed that the decision to enter any war rests solely in his hands, amid reports from the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) expressing concern about becoming involved in a prolonged military campaign against Tehran.

Trump stressed that he would prefer to reach a deal with Tehran, adding, “If we can’t do that, it will be a very bad day for Iran,” as quoted by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (24/2/2026).

He described reports suggesting that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Keane opposed the option of war with Iran as misleading and pure slander.

He explained that Keane, like other military leaders, does not want war, but argued that victory would be easily achieved should the decision for military confrontation be taken.

President Trump has granted his envoys more time to negotiate with Iran in Geneva on Thursday to ensure that all diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.

This comes after he had previously leaned towards launching a military strike, accompanied by an unprecedented US military mobilisation in the region since 2003.