Washington, D.C , March 11: U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the ongoing conflict with Iran would come to a close "soon," asserting that there is "practically nothing left to target" after intense military strikes. In a brief interview with Axios, Trump claimed that the military campaign had progressed more quickly and inflicted greater damage than initially expected.

"The war is going great. We're ahead of schedule, and we've done more damage than we anticipated, even within the original six-week period," Trump said, according to Axios. When asked about the timeline for ending the conflict, Trump confidently stated that it would conclude whenever he chose to do so. "Little by little... any time I want it to end, it will end," he remarked during the five-minute call.

Trump also expanded on the scope of Iran's actions, alleging that the threat posed by Tehran extended beyond its conflict with Israel and the United States. He claimed that Iran had been targeting the broader Middle East. "They were after the rest of the region. This is payback for 47 years of death and destruction they caused. They won’t get away easily," Trump added, as quoted by Axios.

While Trump has previously given varying timelines for the war’s conclusion, he reiterated on Monday that military operations in Iran would end "very soon," though he did not provide specifics. In a separate press conference in Florida, Trump stated, "Everything they have is gone, including their leadership. In fact, their two levels of leadership—actually, even more than that—are gone. Most people don’t even know who these leaders are. It’s been a very powerful and effective operation."

This statement appears to be at odds with the remarks made by other members of his administration. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emphasized that U.S. operations would continue until all objectives were met. "We will not relent until the enemy is completely and decisively defeated. But we do so on our timeline and on our terms," he said during a Pentagon briefing alongside General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This divergence in messaging highlights the complexities and uncertainties surrounding the ongoing conflict with Iran. ( ANI)