Updated March 2, 2026
President Trump described the ongoing U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran as the ‘last best chance’ to eliminate threats from Tehran’s ballistic missiles and nuclear efforts, saying the operation was intended to neutralize an escalating danger to American forces and allies.
Speaking at a Medal of Honor ceremony in the White House East Room, Trump said Iran ignored repeated U.S. warnings and has been rapidly expanding a conventional missile arsenal that poses a ‘very clear, colossal threat.’ He framed the current campaign as a decisive move to remove what he called an ‘intolerable’ menace from a ‘sick and sinister regime.’
The president outlined four principal objectives for the operation: destroy Iran’s missile systems and its ability to produce new missiles; cripple its naval forces — including, he said, 10 ships that have been ‘knocked out’ and are now ‘at the bottom of the sea’; prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon; and halt the regime’s support, funding and direction of terrorist groups beyond its borders.
Trump reiterated the administration’s initial estimate that the campaign would last roughly four to five weeks but emphasized the military has the capacity to continue much longer if needed. He said U.S. forces were already ahead of schedule on some goals and that the timeline could expand, adding that the country would do ‘whatever it takes’ to complete the mission.
The president returned to the White House Sunday evening after monitoring the opening phase of operations at Mar-a-Lago and said large-scale combat operations were continuing to eliminate what he called ‘grave threats’ posed by Iran.
The Pentagon said four U.S. service members have been killed so far in what the military is calling Operation Epic Fury. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that the service members were killed by a munition that struck a tactical operations center in Kuwait. Trump paid tribute to the fallen and warned there could be additional casualties as combat operations continue until stated objectives are met.
In an earlier interview with The New York Post, Trump did not rule out deploying ground troops, saying he would use them ‘if they were necessary’ and declined to promise ‘no boots on the ground.’ Hegseth, in a Monday briefing, similarly would not rule out ground forces, but he said there are currently no U.S. service members on the ground in Iran and declined to outline future operational options.
U.S. officials said Israeli strikes at the outset of the conflict killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior officials. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more than 1,000 targets were hit in the first 24 hours of the bombing campaign. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel, Gulf states and U.S. facilities in the region.
Pressed about the four- to five-week estimate, Hegseth dismissed the question as a ‘gotcha-type’ line of inquiry, saying the president has broad latitude to discuss timing and that military forces will carry out the objectives set by the commander in chief. The administration continues to stress that timelines are provisional and that the campaign will proceed until leaders judge the goals have been achieved.