Trump says war with Iran will not end this week but will conclude 'soon'

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran would not end this week but would conclude "soon," noting "it won't be long."

"We're going to have a much safer world when it's wrapped up. It'll be wrapped up soon," Trump said, adding he felt he had "an obligation" to act despite his personal reluctance.

He claimed that without the US strikes on Iran, a nuclear war would have broken out and escalated into World War III, framing the campaign as a necessity rather than a war of choice.

The remarks reflect the administration's shifting and often contradictory messaging on the war's duration.

Trump initially suggested the campaign would last four to five weeks and has repeatedly said it was running "ahead of schedule."

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday it would "certainly" end within weeks. Yet Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week it was "only just the beginning" as the Axios news site reported that officials in Washington and allied capitals were preparing for US involvement to stretch until September.

The US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Fourteen US service members have been killed since the beginning of the campaign.