• Says conflict may last “hardly longer than a month,” won’t rule out ground troops
• Claims all potential successors to Ali Khamenei identified by Washington have been killed
• Ali Larijani says Iran ready for prolonged war; Tehran reports 500+ targets struck, 550+ deaths
• Pentagon asserts air superiority; six US troops dead, three jets downed
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has delivered a series of rapidly changing statements on the war with Iran, fuelling confusion over Washington’s objectives and next steps.
Since ordering strikes early Saturday that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Trump has alternated between signalling openness to talks and calling for sweeping regime change.
In a Sunday morning interview with The Atlantic, he said Iran’s new leadership wanted to negotiate and that he was prepared to engage. By late afternoon, however, he shifted tone, saying the US mission was to enable Iranians to overthrow their rulers.
By Monday, Trump claimed that individuals his administration had identified as possible successors to Khamenei had also been killed in the strikes. “The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,” he told ABC News, adding that those once considered alternatives were now “all dead.”
Speaking separately to CNN, he said the campaign was progressing well. “We’re knocking the crap out of them,” he remarked.
On the likely duration of the conflict, Trump said he had initially expected it to last around four weeks and suggested operations were ahead of schedule, though he acknowledged it could extend longer. He also expressed surprise at Iran’s retaliatory attacks on regional states including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
At a White House address Monday evening, Trump described the strikes as the “last, best chance” to halt Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons ambitions — a position that contrasted with earlier remarks in which he conceded Tehran had previously made meaningful concessions.
He further revealed that an alleged Iranian plot against him in 2024 had influenced his decision-making. Referring to Khamenei, he said, “I got him before he got me.”
Iran vows prolonged resistance
Iranian officials responded defiantly. Security chief Ali Larijani said Tehran would defend itself regardless of cost and insisted the country was prepared for a long war. He rejected negotiations with Trump, accusing him of harbouring “delusional ambitions.”
Larijani earlier accused the US and Israel of seeking to destabilise and fragment Iran, warning separatist groups of severe consequences.
On the third day of fighting, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck 60 strategic targets and more than 500 US and Israeli-linked sites across the region, launching over 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that 131 cities had been affected by US-Israeli strikes, with at least 555 people killed. Authorities also confirmed the deaths of several Revolutionary Guard members and army personnel.
No ruling out ‘boots on the ground’
Trump has also declined to dismiss the possibility of deploying US ground forces. In remarks to the New York Post, he said he would not categorically rule out “boots on the ground,” unlike many previous presidents.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that stance, saying Washington would not publicly limit its military options, though he added that a massive troop deployment was not necessarily required.
He suggested the timeline of operations remained fluid, saying it could span two to six weeks, or shift depending on developments.
Pentagon claims air dominance
At the first Pentagon briefing since hostilities began, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said US forces had established air superiority over Iran but cautioned that achieving broader military objectives would take time.
“This is not a single overnight operation,” he said, describing the campaign as demanding and potentially protracted.
The Pentagon confirmed six US service members had been killed. Additionally, three F-15 fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defences, leaving six personnel injured.
“We expect to take additional losses,” Caine said, underscoring the uncertain and evolving nature of the conflict.