Yesterday Trump said war with Iran would end soon; now he's changed tack again

WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump refrained from making predictions about when the conflict with Iran would end, though he stated Washington’s readiness to continue attacks for as long as necessary to achieve all objectives.

“I cannot tell you that. I mean, I have my own ideas. (The conflict with Iran) will last for as long as it is needed,” Trump told reporters on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

On Tuesday, 10 March 2026, Trump believed the war against Iran was “very much over” and Washington was “very far ahead” of the initial four-week conflict timeline. He made this statement in an interview with CBS News.

“I think the war is very much over, more or less. They have no navy, no communications. They have no air force,” Trump said.

When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said ships had begun transiting the strait, but he was now “thinking about taking over.”

On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched attacks against targets in Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded to the brutal assault by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The US and Israel initially claimed their “preemptive” strikes were necessary to counter perceived threats from Iran’s nuclear programme, but they quickly clarified that they sought regime change in Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israel military operation, prompting the Islamic Republic government to declare a 40-day mourning period.