WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran is expected to last about four weeks.
“It’s always been a four-week process,” Trump told the Daily Mail. “Although it is strong, it is a large country so it will probably take four weeks or less,” he added.
President Trump said he was not surprised by the developments so far. “I think everything is going according to plan, except that we have removed all of their leaders. There were far more than we expected,” he said, repeating his claim that 48 Iranian leaders had been removed.
President Trump also expressed hope that there may be political change in Iran after the election campaign ends. “A lot of very positive things can happen,” he said.
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In the first 24 hours of the operation, U.S. forces attacked Iranian command centers, ballistic missile bases, naval vessels and air defense systems, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Deployed assets included a B-2 stealth bomber, fighter jets, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and a guided missile destroyer.
Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf states. Centcom announced that three U.S. service members have been killed and five seriously injured since the operation began.
