Trump Hints At Continued Iran Strikes, Says Damage Must Be ‘Permanent’

Trump says US strikes on Iran must be “permanent,” signals no clear exit timeline while claiming major gains in campaign against Tehran.

Trump claimed success in current operations, but offered no clear exit timeline, citing uncertainty and criticizing NATO's lack of support.

Source : ANI

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US President Donald Trump has indicated that American military operations against Iran are set to continue, stressing that the damage inflicted must endure well beyond the current conflict. Speaking at the White House, Trump framed the campaign as a long-term effort to eliminate any possibility of Tehran developing nuclear weapons.

He underscored that the objective is to ensure the threat never resurfaces for future administrations. "Not with lunatics", he said adding that they can’t have lunatics controlling nuclear weaponry. Trump argued that while Iran’s infrastructure might recover over time, Washington intends to make the impact deep enough to prevent any repeat of the current crisis.

‘War Is Proceeding Very Well,’ Says President

Projecting confidence, Trump described the military campaign as a success so far. “The war is proceeding very well. We did a good job,” he said, later adding that the strikes had achieved results “nobody thought were possible”, reported India Today. He claimed that without earlier US intervention, Iran would already have attained nuclear capability.

According to Trump, Tehran was on the brink of a breakthrough. He said that they were two weeks away and there would have been no talking at all. He said that they would have used it very gladly. These remarks reflect the administration’s justification for the scale and intensity of its military actions.

Unclear Exit Timeline Amid Ongoing Operations

Despite the assertive tone, Trump commented on when US forces might withdraw. He suggested at one point that troops could leave “in the very near future,” but stopped short of providing a concrete timeline. In another remark, he downplayed the scale of the conflict, calling it a “little excursion” that could last only a couple of weeks.

At the same time, the president acknowledged the complexity of the situation on the ground, particularly following recent strikes that reportedly eliminated key figures within Iran’s leadership. “We don’t know who to deal with,” he said, pointing to growing uncertainty that could hinder diplomatic efforts, reported Business Today.

NATO Rift & Strategic Pressures Mount

Trump also took aim at the NATO alliance, criticising member nations for declining to support US efforts to secure the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. He expressed frustration that the United States was left to manage the situation largely on its own.

The ongoing conflict has also disrupted broader diplomatic priorities, including a planned meeting with Xi Jinping. Even as tensions reshape US foreign policy calculations, Trump dismissed concerns about a prolonged ground war, maintaining that current operations have already delivered substantial results.

His remarks highlight a dual narrative—confidence in the campaign’s effectiveness, coupled with lingering uncertainty over its duration and geopolitical consequences.