President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran may conclude in the near future, saying a sustained wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes has left the Iranian military with few remaining targets.

In a short phone interview with Axios, Trump said the campaign is approaching its final stages and suggested that the decision on when to bring the war to a close largely rests with him.

“Little this and that. … Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said.

Trump also said the joint U.S.–Israeli offensive has moved more quickly than military planners initially anticipated.

“The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period,” Trump said.

The conflict has now entered its eleventh day and has included retaliatory attacks by Iran, while the Trump administration has offered varying projections about how long the campaign could continue and what its ultimate goals are.

At the outset, Trump indicated the war might last four to five weeks. On Monday, he said the operation was “pretty much” finished and could end “soon.” However, the following day he warned of a possible escalation after reports emerged that Iran had begun deploying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. officials said intelligence obtained Tuesday indicated that Iran had started placing mines in the key waterway, which serves as one of the most critical routes for global oil shipments. Officials added that the number of mines detected so far appears to be limited.

Trump told Axios that U.S. forces struck 16 Iranian vessels used for laying mines on Tuesday, disrupting Tehran’s efforts to threaten shipping through the strait.

Despite Trump’s suggestion that the fighting may soon wind down, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that Israel is prepared to continue the operation for as long as necessary.

“The war will continue without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign,” Katz said.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth also indicated that the campaign will persist until its strategic goals are fully accomplished.

“The U.S. military will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated,” Hegseth said Tuesday, adding that operations would proceed “on our timeline and at our choosing.”

According to U.S. officials, the primary objectives of the campaign include dismantling Iran’s naval and missile capabilities and destroying its drone and missile production infrastructure. Officials have largely dismissed the idea that the operation is aimed at toppling Iran’s government or eliminating the country’s nuclear material stockpiles.

In a video statement released Wednesday, U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said American forces have hit more than 5,500 targets across Iran since the war began, including over 60 ships.

“U.S. combat power is building. Iranian combat power is declining,” Cooper said. “And we remain centered on very clear military objectives in eliminating Iran’s ability to project power against Americans and against its neighbors.”

Cooper said the pace of operations has been intense, describing multiple waves of strikes carried out on Tuesday.

“There were strike waves nearly every hour from different locations and directions going into Iran,” Cooper said, adding that four ships were “taken out.”

He also said Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones has significantly declined since the start of the campaign.

“Since the first 24 hours of this campaign, Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks have dropped drastically,” Cooper said, adding that Iran has been launching attacks on civilians in Gulf countries from “highly populated” Iranian cities.

“U.S. forces continue delivering devastating combat power against the Iranian regime,” Cooper said. “Just last night, our bomber force hit a large ballistic missile manufacturing facility.”

{Matzav.com}