WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump indicated that the US-led military campaign in Iran, conducted alongside Israeli forces, could reach its conclusion within the coming weeks, while warning that operations would intensify in next two or three weeks before any resolution.
Speaking in a prime-time address from the White House, Trump described the conflict as a decisive victory, asserting that the U.S. was “very close” to completing its objectives in Iran. “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” he said, adding that Tehran would be pushed back to what he termed the “Stone Ages.”
The president highlighted significant damage inflicted on Iran’s military infrastructure, claiming that missile and drone capabilities had been “dramatically curtailed” and that weapons factories were being destroyed. He emphasized the scale of losses, saying such rapid degradation was unprecedented in modern warfare.
Trump also confirmed that Iran continues limited retaliatory actions but insisted their strike capacity had been greatly reduced. He reported recent attacks on nuclear facilities, noting that much of the nuclear material had been buried or neutralized. Trump reiterated that Iran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, a stance he has maintained since his 2015 presidential campaign.
Linking the current conflict to past US policy, Trump criticized the 2015 nuclear deal, arguing that Israel’s survival would have been threatened if the agreement had remained in place. On the topic of regime change, he claimed it was not the administration’s stated goal, but noted that leadership losses in Tehran had effectively brought it about.
Turning to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows, Trump urged Gulf nations to take primary responsibility for securing the vital waterway while affirming that the U.S. would assist.
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