Trump pledges 'whatever it takes,' signals Iran war could last weeks

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the operation against Iran is “substantially ahead” of schedule, but he added the US military will do “whatever it takes” to achieve the mission’s objectives.

Speaking at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House Monday, Trump laid out the objectives as destroying Iran's missile capabilities, "annihilating” its navy, ensuring it can’t obtain a nuclear weapon and severing its support for regional militias. 

“This was our last best chance to strike, what we're doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.  

Trump's comments marked his first live appearance since a rally Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. Over the weekend, he addressed the public only through social media posts and two pre-recorded videos taken in Mar-a-Lago.

"From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said. “But whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes.” 

Earlier Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the war would not drag on indefinitely, while saying it could last as long as six weeks. Asked if there are currently US ground troops in Iran, Hegseth said no but added, "We'll go as far as we need to go.”

Since Operation Epic Fury began overnight Saturday, four US troops have been killed and five others seriously wounded in the Iranian counterattacks on US bases across the region, according to US Central Command. On Monday, three US jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in what the US military called an “apparent friendly fire incident,” with all six crew members parachuting to safety. 

In an interview with the New York Post earlier Monday, Trump declined to rule out boots on the ground in Iran but said they “probably” weren’t required. He also told CNN the “big wave” of US strikes against Iran was still to come. 

Negotiators from the United States and Iran held a third round of nuclear talks less than 48 hours before Operation Epic Fury began. The two countries were also engaged in nuclear negotiations when Israel launched its 12-day war in June, which included US strikes on Iran’s main enrichment facilities. Its uranium enrichment, which had been nearing weapons-grade levels, was effectively halted as a result of the US bombing campaign.

“We warned Iran not to make any attempt to rebuild at a different location, because they were unable to use the ones we so powerfully blew up, but they ignored those warnings and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Trump said Monday.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Since June, it has not allowed inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to assess the damaged sites and determine what remains of its prewar stockpile of 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which the IAEA believes is stored at an underground tunnel complex in the Isfahan facility.

On Monday, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi told the agency’s board of governors that there is no indication Israeli or US strikes have yet targeted Iranian nuclear sites since the start of the current conflict.

This developing story has been updated since initial publication.