President Donald Trump strongly dismissed criticism that he might “get bored” with the ongoing military campaign against Iran, asserting that the United States has both the capability and resolve to continue operations far longer than initially projected.
“From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that, we'll do it," Trump said on Monday. "Whatever somebody said today, they said, Oh, well, President wants to do it really quickly. After that, he'll get bored. I don't get bored.”
Trump said while the campaign was initially expected to last four to five weeks, Washington is prepared to sustain operations as long as necessary.
His remarks come after he told the New York Post he would not rule out deploying American ground troops “if they were necessary,” while describing the military operation — dubbed Operation Epic Fury — as already “way ahead of schedule.”
The operation, launched Saturday in a joint US-Israel strike on Tehran, killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeted key military and leadership infrastructure.
Speaking Monday, Trump framed the campaign as a decisive effort to neutralize what he called an existential threat posed by Tehran.
“This was our last best chance to strike what we're doing right now and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime and they are indeed sick and sinister,” he said.
Trump outlined four primary objectives: destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its naval forces, preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and stopping the regime from arming and directing proxy groups abroad.
“First, we're destroying Iran's missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis,” he said. “Second, we're annihilating their navy. We've knocked out already 10 ships. They're at the bottom of the sea.”
He added, “We're ensuring that the world's number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon. Never going to have a nuclear weapon.”
In remarks to CNN earlier, Trump said the US military is “knocking the crap” out of Iran but warned a larger phase of operations may still be ahead, urging civilians inside Iran to remain indoors because conditions were unsafe.
US service members killed
The White House address also struck a somber tone as Trump confirmed four US service members were killed following Iranian attacks in the region.
“Today, we grieve for the four heroic American service members who have been killed in action, and send our love and support to their families,” he said.
“In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people.”
US Central Command confirmed the fatalities Monday, underscoring the growing regional escalation as Iran launched new waves of attacks on US bases, according to Iranian state media.
Regional tensions intensified further after the United Arab Emirates said its air defenses intercepted nine Iranian ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and dozens of drones, while Qatar announced it had shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers.
Energy markets were also shaken as drone strikes forced shutdowns at a major Saudi refinery and oil and gas facilities in Israel and Iraq’s Kurdish region, pushing global oil prices sharply higher.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the campaign as “limited and decisive,” saying the objective is to destroy Iran’s missile and nuclear threats rather than launch an open-ended war.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday it had no indication Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered major damage, though Tehran’s envoy claimed the Natanz enrichment site was struck.
Iranian state media also reported that Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the wife of Ali Khamenei, died following the US-Israeli airstrikes.
Trump insisted the United States holds overwhelming military advantage.
“We have the strongest and most powerful by far military in the world, and we will easily prevail,” he said. “We're already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes, we will.”
“Regarding the status of the nuclear installations in Iran, up to now, we have no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been damaged or hit,” Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors.
“Efforts to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities through the IEC continue, with no response so far. We hope this indispensable channel of communication can be reestablished as soon as possible,” he added.
The agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre, Grossi said, was fully operational and coordinating with regional safety networks. “So far, no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran,” he said.
Warning against strikes on nuclear facilities
Armed attacks on nuclear sites, Grossi said, carry risks that extend beyond national borders.
“Let me again recall past General Conference resolutions that state that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,” he said.
He urged restraint by all sides. “Consistent with the objectives of the IAEA, as enshrined in its Statute, I reiterate my call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” Grossi added.
The IAEA chief also said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program must start again. “To achieve the long-term assurance that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons and for maintaining the continued effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime, we must return to diplomacy and negotiations,” he said.
Iran envoy cites Natanz
Separately, Reuters reported that Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA said the United States and Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday. Asked which facility was struck, the ambassador replied “Natanz,” according to Reuters.
The Natanz nuclear facility is Iran’s main uranium enrichment site and has long been central to international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Grossi added that while no radiological release has been detected, the situation remains serious. “Let me underline that the situation today is very concerning. We cannot rule out a possible radiological release with serious consequences,” he said.
Iran calls for IAEA condemnation
During the session, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, called on the agency to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
He rejected that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, calling them “completely false.”
Najafi said Iran’s response would continue, adding that such measures would remain in place as long as what he described as “aggression” continues.
