U.S. President Donald Trump has outlined an expected timeline for the military campaign against Iran, saying the operation could continue for “four to five weeks” but warning it might extend beyond that, as clashes widen and uncertainty grows over how the conflict might unfold, ENigeria Newspaper learnt.
In comments to reporters, Trump said the attacks, launched jointly by the United States and Israel, were initially expected to last about a month but hinted the duration was not set in stone.
“Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” he said, speaking after authorising strikes aimed at what the U.S. government described as threats from Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Trump’s remarks offered the clearest public estimate yet of the timetable for the campaign, which began last weekend with a major joint offensive and has since broadened across the region. While the president acknowledged progress, he stressed the United States and its allies remained committed to their objectives.
The president framed the conflict as a preventive measure to stop Iran from developing capabilities that he said could pose a “colossal threat” to the United States and its forces overseas, citing nuclear development and long-range missiles as key concerns.
Although offering a projected window of weeks rather than months or years, Trump’s comments made clear the campaign’s length would ultimately depend on how events evolve on the ground.
Observers say a fixed timeframe for military operations is difficult to predict in such a complex environment, especially as retaliatory strikes and regional responses unfold. The Department of Defense has emphasised that achieving U.S. strategic aims “will take time” even as it seeks to minimise casualties and sustain operations.
Trump’s timeline estimate also comes at a moment when the campaign’s human cost is drawing attention, with U.S. authorities confirming the deaths of American service members since the conflict began.
President Trump’s projection of four to five weeks provides a rough window for planning and expectation, but his acknowledgment that the campaign could “go far longer” signals that the war might not reach its end soon.
