President Donald Trump warned Monday that the U.S. military offensive against Iran could last a month or longer, declaring that American forces will continue operations "no matter how long it takes or what the cost" to completely dismantle Tehran's military capabilities.
In his first public address since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, Trump framed the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes not as a brief, targeted assault, but as a sustained campaign that might last "four to five weeks" or even longer.
The president said U.S. forces are destroying Iran's missile capabilities and dismantling its navy to ensure the regime cannot acquire nuclear weapons or fund proxy militia groups across the Middle East.
However, the toll on U.S. forces is mounting. The Pentagon confirmed six American military deaths since the operation began. Additionally, defense officials reported a suspected friendly fire incident in which Kuwaiti air defense systems shot down three U.S. F-15 fighter jets. All six crew members successfully ejected and were safely rescued.
Top administration officials have echoed the president's hardline stance and pointedly refused to rule out a ground invasion. In an interview with theNew York Post, Trump distanced himself from his predecessors' reluctance to deploy infantry.
"I won't be hesitant about ground operations like other presidents," Trump said. "They always say 'no ground forces,' but I won't say that."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed no U.S. ground troops are currently deployed to Iran but left the door open for future authorizations during a Pentagon briefing.
Before conducting classified congressional briefings on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the military's "most devastating strikes are yet to come."
Rubio framed the offensive as a necessary preemptive strike against imminent threats, noting that Israel likely would have attacked even without U.S. participation—an event that would have inevitably drawn America into the geopolitical fallout anyway.
Despite public rhetoric suggesting an open-ended timeline, Trump told the New York Post that operations are running far ahead of schedule. He claimed that 49 high-ranking Iranian officials were killed in a single day—a strategic goal the administration initially expected to take weeks. He estimated the conflict might conclude within four weeks or sooner.
The decision to launch the joint offensive with Israel immediately followed failed U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva last Thursday. Trump cited intelligence indicating Tehran was secretly resuming its nuclear weapons program.
Meanwhile, analysts warn the regional fallout is only beginning. According toThe New York Times, the broader Middle Eastern conflict shows no signs of abating, with the security situation expected to deteriorate further in the coming weeks.
