A senior White House official said the prolonged conflict with Iran is the result of U.S. effectiveness on the battlefield, pushing back on questions about why the war has lasted far longer than President Donald Trump initially projected.

Sebastian Gorka, the National Security Council’s senior counterterrorism director, addressed the issue during a Sunday appearance on News Nation, responding to concerns about the gap between the administration’s early estimate of a four-to-five-week campaign and the current reality of an eleven-week war.

“There’s a very simple answer to your question — we’ve just been too effective,” Gorka said on News Nation on Sunday.

Gorka attributed the extended timeline to complications arising from the weakening of Iran’s leadership, arguing that the collapse at the top has made it more difficult to finalize a surrender agreement.

“This is a regime in ultimate collapse at the top. As a result, it makes communicating and getting that final deal, that acquiesces, that surrender a little bit more complicated. But rest assured, it is coming imminently,” he said.

The United States and Iran are currently observing a ceasefire as the administration seeks a negotiated end to the conflict, which began Feb. 28 and led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.

Despite the temporary halt in hostilities, Trump said Monday that the ceasefire is fragile, describing it as being on “life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest proposal in nuclear negotiations.

“It’s unbelievably weak,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if the ceasefire remains in place for the time being.

Negotiators on both sides are continuing efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement, though Trump on Sunday dismissed Tehran’s demands, which reportedly include financial compensation, recognition of Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of U.S. sanctions, and the release of frozen assets.

Trump on Monday called the counteroffer a “piece of garbage” and that he did not even finish reading.

Iran has so far resisted committing to dismantle its nuclear program as part of the talks, creating a significant obstacle to any potential agreement.

As the conflict drags on, the administration has faced mounting criticism over rising fuel costs and broader economic fallout. Critics have also questioned the shifting justifications for entering the war, arguing that the extended timeline reflects a failure to anticipate the Strait of Hormuz shutdown and overestimates about how quickly the U.S. could neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities or bring about a regime collapse.

Gorka dismissed those claims, reiterating his defense of the administration’s strategy.

“This action has been planned for decades by the president. Now he is in the chair,” he said. “Everything you see has been planned out to the last scintilla. . . . Everything is happening exactly to plan.”

{Matzav.com}