Trump says strikes on Iran will take 'four weeks or less'

Middle East — March 2, 2026

President Donald Trump said on Monday that the joint US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure would last 'four weeks or less,' signaling confidence in a rapid conclusion to the operation.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump described the strikes as 'extremely successful' and said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier in the day.

'We are hitting them very, very hard. I think it'll be four weeks or less, maybe much less,' the president said, without elaborating on what conditions would define the end of the campaign.

The remarks come as US B-2 bombers and carrier-based aircraft continue operations alongside the Israeli Air Force across western and central Iran. Pentagon officials confirmed that over 200 distinct targets have been struck since operations began.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the campaign is 'proceeding according to plan' and that American forces have not suffered casualties. He declined to specify how many bunker-buster GBU-57 bombs have been used.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement calling the strikes 'an act of aggression' and vowing a response, though Iranian forces have been unable to mount sustained air defenses against the combined assault.

World leaders reacted with alarm. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called an emergency Security Council session and urged an 'immediate ceasefire.' France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint statement expressing 'deep concern about escalation.'