Trump says the war will last for weeks and does not rule out sending troops to Iran
The president assures that they have the capacity to fight for as long as necessary: "We won't get bored."
WashingtonThe controlled attack that Donald Trump envisioned against Iran has now escalated into a conflict that the president estimates will last "four or five weeks." "Although we have the capability for longer," he stated this Monday in his first public appearance since the bombing of Tehran. The president did not make these remarks in a televised address to the nation, but rather at a White House ceremony already scheduled to award medals of honor to Vietnam War veterans. Trump believes the United States will win this military campaign due to its superior weaponry. "We have the most powerful and strongest military in the world," the president emphasized, even though two weeks ago the military leadership warned him against conducting any operations against the ayatollahs because of the army's depleted arsenal and the potential for casualties. At this point, six American service members have already died, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth anticipates more casualties. He also has not ruled out sending troops to the region.
"We will not speculate on what we will or will not do. We will go as far as we have to go," Hegseth emphasized at the first Pentagon press conference following the attack on Iran, which also took place on Monday. Meanwhile, Trump made a similar statement in an interview on the New York Post"I have no objection to sending troops on the ground. Every president says, 'There will be no troops on the ground.' I don't say that," Trump stated. New York Post"I say we probably won't need them." On numerous occasions, Trump reiterated that he would not deploy troops on the ground. That he is now considering this possibility is a notable shift from his initial stance, but not surprising. The president has already repeatedly broken his campaign promise that the United States would not engage in any more wars. The president has launched a full-scale attack against Iran without any fear of the reaction from the MAGA bases, which have already rebelled. Trump, however, did not mention the possibility of sending more troops to the Middle East when he spoke from the East Room at the medal ceremony attended by numerous military officials. Nor did he say a word about the four soldiers killed in the first three days of fighting. On the contrary, he appeared more willing than ever to continue the war for as long as necessary. "Someone told the media that in a week or so I would get bored. We won't get bored. I never get bored," the president boasted, although he seemed less energetic than usual on Monday. Trump asserted that his objectives in the region "are clear": to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, "annihilate" its naval force, and ensure that the world's number one state sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon.
The threat of nuclear weapons
Once again, he has repeated the same old song about nuclear weapons, despite the fact that the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, repeatedly asserted that Iran had no intention of developing such weapons. A premise that was evenin the preamble to the nuclear agreementfrom which Trump withdrew in 2015. "Iran assures that under no circumstances will it seek, develop, or acquire any type of nuclear weapon," it stated. An agreement championed by Barack Obama, against whom the tycoon has once again attacked.
Although the president asserts with great conviction that the US is capable of engaging in a conflict lasting more than four or five weeks, the underlying situation is somewhat more complicated. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, already warned Trump two weeks ago that one of the drawbacks of attacking Iran is that the Pentagon's arsenal has been depleted by the defense of Israel and support for Ukraine. If the conflict drags on for four or five weeks, stockpiles of Tomahawks, cruise missiles, and Patriot anti-aircraft systems will be reduced even further. Manufacturing much of this weaponry, besides costing millions, takes a year or more from the time it leaves the assembly line. For the moment, the war against Iran has been reduced to airstrikes and missile launches from military bases, fighter jets, and ships deployed in the region. But when the ammunition runs out, an alternative will have to be found if the conflict becomes entrenched.
In another Versailles-esque scene from the president, during his speech Trump went from talking about the war to making jokes about building a ballroom in the White House. "I've always liked gold, but I think we can save a little. I've saved a little on the curtains. [...] Believe me, it'll be the most beautiful ballroom in the world," he said right after thanking the military for their work. While the region burns under American bombs with a death toll of hundreds, Trump dedicates almost as much time to talking about the war as he does to discussing the decorations with which he wants to transform the presidential building into a baroque palace.
