Trump Says Iran War “Very Complete,” U.S.–Israel Campaign Far Ahead of Schedule

President Donald Trump said Monday that the war against Iran may soon be nearing its end, saying the country’s military capabilities have been largely destroyed after more than a week of coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes. “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump said in a phone interview with CBS News.

The United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, targeting military infrastructure and leadership sites across the country. Trump had initially estimated the war could last four to five weeks, but said Monday the campaign is moving far faster than expected.

“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” Trump said. “Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones.”

According to the U.S. military, more than 3,000 Iranian targets were struck during the first week of operations. “If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense,” Trump said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration’s assessment today, saying the campaign is steadily dismantling Iran’s ability to threaten regional stability with its missile arsenal. “We are well on our way to achieving that objective every single day with overwhelming force, with overwhelming precision,” Rubio said at a State Department event Monday. “The military, the United States military, the men and women in uniform are conducting an extraordinary operation.”

Alongside the military campaign, diplomatic channels have also opened. The Kremlin said Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an hour-long phone call Monday focused in part on the conflict in Iran.

According to the Kremlin’s readout, Putin presented several proposals for a diplomatic resolution to the war. The two leaders also discussed the conflict in Ukraine and developments in Venezuela.

The call took place in the wake of reports that Russia has been providing intelligence to Tehran that could help Iranian forces target American military assets in the region. The White House has downplayed the significance of the reports, saying the intelligence sharing has not affected the U.S. campaign.

Trump also warned Iran against attempting to disrupt global shipping routes in the Persian Gulf. Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes, has slowed dramatically since the war began.

“They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it's going to be the end of that country,” Trump said. He added that the United States could “do a lot” about the strait and said he is considering the possibility of taking control of the critical shipping lane.

While suggesting the war could end soon, Trump also emphasized that the final decision about when to conclude the campaign rests with him. “Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else's,” he said.

At the same time, he indicated that Israel would play a role in that decision given the joint nature of the military campaign. In a separate interview with The Times of Israel, Trump said the decision on when to end the war would be made “mutually” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though he indicated that he would ultimately make the final determination.

Trump is expected to provide further details about the war later Monday during a news conference scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET in Miami. The briefing could offer the clearest indication yet of whether Washington believes the conflict with Iran is nearing its conclusion or entering a new phase.