In a brief phone interview Wednesday, President Trump told Axios that the war with Iran will end “soon,” saying there is “practically nothing left to target.” Trump said the campaign is “going great,” that the U.S. is “way ahead of the timetable,” and that the operation has done “more damage than we thought possible,” referencing an “original six-week period.”
Axios reported that, despite Trump’s public remarks about objectives being largely accomplished, U.S. and Israeli officials said there has been no internal directive indicating when fighting might stop.
On Tuesday, the U.S. received intelligence suggesting Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video message that the U.S. military’s mission is to eliminate Iran’s ability to project power and harass shipping in the strait.
Axios noted Trump has offered varying timelines for the war’s end and had generally predicted about a month of bombing.