WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration will do “whatever it takes” to make the Iran operation successful, suggesting the war could last a month or longer.
“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections,” Trump said. “But whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes…Right from the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that.”
The president has not ruled out the deployment of troops to the region in an interview with the New York Post.
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump said.
Trump listed four objectives for the U.S. military operation known as “Epic Fury”: “degrading Iran’s missile capabilities, the destruction of Iran’s navy, ensuring it could never obtain a nuclear weapon, and containing its proxy forces by ensuring Iran cannot “continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
During his remarks, Trump countered the notion that he might lose interest in the conflict if it persisted beyond a week or two, asserting, “I don’t get bored.”
“There’s nothing boring about it,” Trump added.
Trump justified the timing of the strikes, saying that this was “our last best chance” to target the threat from the Iranian regime.
He said that Iran’s ballistic missile program posed a “very clear, colossal threat.” What’s unclear — and the subject of much debate — is how imminent a danger the Iranian regime posed to the United States.
Experts have raised doubts about the claim, per Politifact.
“We thought we had a deal, and they backed out,” he said.
Trump’s statement contradicts U.S. intelligence assessments as he sought to justify his administration’s ongoing attack.
“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said at the White House, marking his first public remarks on the military operation.
