02 March,2026 11:15 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondent
US President Donald Trump speaks during a Medal of Honor ceremony in White House on Monday. PIC/AFP
President Donald Trump said on Monday that US military operations against Iran are progressing substantially ahead of schedule but could extend well beyond the initial projection of four to five weeks.
"We're already substantially ahead of our time projections," Trump said at the White House, adding, "From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that. We'll do it."
Trump emphasised that the United States (US) has the capacity to sustain the campaign as long as necessary to achieve its goals, including eliminating threats from Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.
He described the decision to launch the strikes as the "last, best chance" to confront what he called a "sick and sinister regime," stating: "This was our last, best chance to strike, what we're doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime."
Trump did not rule out the possibility of sending on ground troops to Iran, saying he does not have "the yips with respect to boots on the ground" and would deploy them "if they were necessary".
The US President also indicated an escalation ahead, telling media outlets that "we haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon".
Earlier, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at a Pentagon briefing, echoed the flexibility on timeline, saying: "Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks, it could move up. It could move back."
He stressed that the operation differs from past conflicts, with no nation-building or democracy promotion involved: "This is not Iraq. This is not endless... We fight to win and we don't waste time or lives."
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that US forces have achieved local air superiority over Iran, enabling continued operations.
The remarks come amid ongoing aerial strikes under Operation Epic Fury, authorised by Trump, with the US and Israel targeting Iranian missiles, navy, and command sites since late February.
No official government sources have confirmed specific casualty figures or further escalation details beyond these statements.
(With PTI, AP, and AFP inputs)
