President Donald Trump said Wednesday the war with Iran could end “soon,” telling Axios that U.S. and allied strikes have already devastated Tehran’s military capabilities.
“The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable,” Trump said in a brief phone interview. “We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.”
Trump suggested the campaign may already be nearing its conclusion.
“Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end,” he said, adding there is now “practically nothing left to target.”
Despite Trump’s public confidence, U.S. and Israeli officials say no final internal decision has been made on when combat operations will stop.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz struck a more open-ended tone Wednesday, saying the war would continue “without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign.”
Behind the scenes, American and Israeli officials are reportedly preparing for at least two more weeks of strikes against targets inside Iran.
Trump confirmed that U.S. strikes Tuesday destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying boats, disrupting the regime’s apparent effort to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Military leaders say the broader campaign is steadily degrading Tehran’s capabilities.
U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said American forces are focused on eliminating Iran’s ability to threaten regional partners and global shipping lanes.
“U.S. forces continue delivering devastating combat power against the Iranian regime,” Cooper said in a video update. “U.S. combat power is building, Iran’s combat power is declining.”
According to Cooper, Iranian missile and drone attacks have dropped sharply as coalition strikes dismantle launch sites, production facilities, and command networks.
More over at Axios:
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷President Trump told me in a phone interview Wednesday that the war with Iran will end "soon" because there is "practically nothing left" to target. "Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end," Trump said. My story on @axios https://t.co/Z9iL47VRq2
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 11, 2026