President Donald Trump has sought to reassure his political base by declaring that the war in Iran is “very complete, pretty much.” Trump spoke during a press conference in Florida, emphasizing that the military operation was always intended to be a “short-term excursion.” He moved to distance the current campaign from the long-term “forever wars” of the past, promising a swift conclusion.
The President’s remarks follow the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, a selection Trump has dismissed as a “mistake.” Trump pointed to the destruction of 80% of Iran’s missile launchers and the total loss of its navy as evidence that the regime is in a state of collapse. He insisted that the U.S. has “won enough” to begin looking toward the end of the conflict.
Trump defended the decision to strike, claiming that Iran was just days away from launching a massive attack on the Middle East and the U.S. “We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil,” he explained to his audience. This justification has been central to the administration’s narrative throughout the two-week-old war.
Global energy markets reacted sharply to the news, with oil prices retreating from their peak of $119.50 after Trump suggested an imminent end to hostilities. The President warned that any “bad” actions in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a U.S. response “twenty times harder.” He has also considered a more direct role for the U.S. in securing the waterway for international trade.
The humanitarian toll of the war is significant, with over 1,200 reported dead in Iran and mass displacement in Lebanon. Trump’s narrative remains focused on the “amazing” performance of the military and the exceptionalism of the United States. The President’s next steps will determine the extent of the final “ultimate victory” in the region.