President Donald Trump said Monday that the Iran War is “very complete” and the operation could end soon, according to Weijia Jiang, the senior White House correspondent for CBS News.
He made the comments in a brief telephone interview with Jiang.
However, Trump’s statement conflicted with those of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who told CBS News that the U.S. assault on Iran was “just the beginning.”
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Still, Trump said, “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” according to Jiang.
Jiang posted the president’s comments on X, and also said Trump told her Iran has “no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.”
NEW—In a phone interview, President Trump told me the war could be over soon: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.” He added that the U.S. is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame.
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) March 9, 2026
During a press conference on Monday afternoon, a reporter asked Trump if he believed the war would conclude by the end of the week. Trump quickly replied, “No,” but emphasized that it’s ahead of schedule.
What’s the latest on the war?
The war entered its 10th day on Monday after U.S. officials said Iranian bombings killed at least eight servicemembers. Trump said that he believed the U.S. is “far ahead” of its initial estimates that it would take four to five weeks.
“Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones,” Trump told Jiang. “If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
Trump also criticized Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and said he had “no message for him. None, whatsoever.” He said that the U.S. had another person in mind for a new Iranian leader, but he did not say who.
When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, a major bottleneck in global oil trade, he said he was “thinking about taking it over.” Trump also suggested that Iran’s arsenal was limited after the country’s major attacks throughout the Middle East.
“They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country,” he said, according to Jiang.
