US President Donald Trump held a press conference at his golf club in Florida as the war in Iran enters its second week.
Trump said the US had achieved “great strides” at war with Iran, suggesting the operation may be “virtually over”.
“We are making great strides towards fulfilling our military objectives, and some might say they are practically achieved”he said during the press conference.
Reporter: You called it an excursion. You said it would be over soon. Are you thinking it will be over this week?
Trump: No, but very soon. pic.twitter.com/R4G95Q2O6r
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 9, 2026
“We have completely destroyed all Iranian forces.”
Trump has given contradictory timelines for war in recent days. In a speech to the Republican majority in the House of Representatives minutes earlier, he called the campaign “a short-lived jaunt” while later vowing to “move forward more determined than ever to achieve final victory.”
Trump: US attacked more than 5,000 targets, leaving some “for later”
Trump said the United States had struck more than 5,000 targets since the start of the Iran war, “some of them very significant,” but that the U.S. military was saving “some of the most important targets for later, in case it’s necessary.”
“If we hit them, it will take many years to rebuild because it’s about power generation and a lot of other things,” he continued.
Also during remarks on Monday, the president said that US goals in Iran were “virtually accomplished.”
Trump suggests that Iran expressed nuclear ambitions during failed diplomatic negotiations
Trump indicated that Iran expressed continued nuclear aspirations during limited talks between US and Iranian officials this year.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner held three rounds of talks with Iranian officials, moderated by Oman. The parties failed to reach a diplomatic solution.
“Despite countless opportunities to abandon their nuclear ambitions, which they had until recently, they told Mr. Witkoff … they actually said, ‘We want to keep building.’”Trump told reporters in Doral, Florida.
He described the Iranians’ perspective as “basically, in one sentence, ‘We want to continue building nuclear weapons’“.
Trump speculated that if the US had not targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities last summer, “they would already have nuclear weapons, they would have used them long before now, and least of all they would have Israel was destroyed“.
Trump downplays rising oil prices, says war with Iran will lower prices in the long run
Trump has argued that a war with Iran will lower oil prices in the long term, despite a surge in markets caused by the shutdown of shipments through the nearby Strait of Hormuz.
“The Strait of Hormuz will remain safe”he said during the press conference. “We are ending every threat once and for all, and the result will be lower oil and gas prices for American families.”
Trump also downplayed the consequences for American consumers of rising oil prices, arguing that the shortage “is affecting other countries more than the United States.”
“We don’t really mind”he said. “We have so much oil.”
Global oil prices have surged since the US and Israel first attacked Iran, at one point on Monday approaching $120 a barrel before easing a bit. The increase has already affected fuel prices, increasing costs for Americans at the pump.
Trump sought to placate tanker owners who refused passage through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that “the cost to Iran will not be immeasurable” if the country tries to attack any ships.
Trump claims Iran planned to ‘take over the Middle East’
Trump claims Iran planned to “take over the Middle East”.
“Iran is a very powerful country. They planned to take over the Middle East. If we hadn’t hit them, they would have taken over the Middle East.”Trump said at a news conference in Florida, repeating statements he made to ABC News on Sunday.
The president said that “most” of Iran’s missiles and other weapons have now been destroyed. He stated that they were “directed at countries in the Middle East that had nothing to do with this conflict.”
Trump added that Iran was also planning to try to destroy Israel, but the US “prevented that with timely action.”
“We are very proud to be involved in this and it will be over soon, and if the conflict starts again, they will be hit even harder”Trump said.
(Vijesti.ba)
