By Micah Jonah
March 3, 2026
United States President, Donald Trump said the military campaign against Iran was initially projected to last “four to five weeks” but warned operations could continue for much longer, if necessary.
Speaking from the White House on Monday, Trump said the US military had the “capability to go far longer than that,” as he defended the joint US-Israeli offensive.
Shifting Justification:
Trump reiterated that Iran posed “grave threats” to the United States, citing what he described as a rapidly expanding ballistic missile programme and nuclear ambitions.
“The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases,” Trump said, adding that Iran “would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America.”
However, he stopped short of describing an imminent attack, instead stating that the United States was “very nearly under threat.”
Under US law, the president can authorise military action without congressional approval only in response to an immediate threat. The comments have raised questions in Washington about the legal and intelligence basis for the campaign.
Casualties Mount:
The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that a fourth US service member had died in the conflict, following earlier reports of three fatalities.
Regionally, casualty figures continue to rise. Iranian authorities say hundreds have been killed in US-Israeli strikes, while retaliatory attacks have resulted in deaths in Lebanon, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and several senior officials, including the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have been reported killed in the opening days of the campaign.
Trump said the military had been ahead of schedule in its goal of dismantling Iran’s top leadership.
‘Not Iraq,’ Pentagon Says:
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to address concerns that the conflict could turn into a prolonged intervention.
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth told reporters, describing the operation as a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” aimed at eliminating missile threats, preventing nuclear development.
Trump, who campaigned on reducing US involvement in foreign wars under his “America First” platform, insisted that the campaign would not evolve into nation-building or extended occupation.
Still, he declined to provide a definitive timeline, saying only that the military remains prepared for an extended operation if required.
With regional tensions escalating and domestic debate intensifying, the scope and duration of the conflict remain uncertain.
