WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump signaled that the conflict with Iran is nearing its conclusion, telling Axios on Wednesday that there is “practically nothing left to target” and that the war will end “any time I want it to” .
In a brief phone interview with the US media outlet, Trump described the campaign as “going great,” stating, “We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period” . He characterized the operation as “payback” for “47 years of death and destruction they caused,” adding, “They will not get off that easy” .
However, despite Trump’s assertion of imminent conclusion, US and Israeli officials reportedly told Axios there has been no internal directive on when the fighting might stop, and they are preparing for at least “two more weeks” of strikes . Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that “This operation will continue without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives” .
US Troop Casualties: 140 Wounded, 7 Killed
The Pentagon disclosed that approximately 140 US service members have been wounded during the first 10 days of sustained attacks since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28 . Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the vast majority of these injuries have been minor, with 108 service members already returned to duty. Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care .
Reuters had earlier reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter, that as many as 150 US troops may have been wounded . The conflict has also claimed the lives of seven US soldiers—six killed in Kuwait after a strike hit their operations center, and one who died from injuries sustained at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia .
The Pentagon could not immediately confirm whether the injuries include traumatic brain injuries, which are common after exposure to blasts .
Military Assessment: 5,500+ Targets Struck
US Central Command chief General Brad Cooper reported that American forces have struck more than 5,500 targets across Iran since the conflict began, including over 60 ships . Strike waves were launched nearly every hour on Tuesday, hitting targets from multiple directions and destroying the last of Iran’s four Soleimani-class warships .
The Pentagon says the number of Iranian retaliatory strikes has fallen sharply as US forces continue bombing Iran’s weapons inventories and targeting its limited number of missile launchers .
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the fight was not harder than expected. “I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they are more formidable than what we thought,” Caine said at a Pentagon briefing .
Questions Over New Supreme Leader
Questions are growing about the status of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since his appointment following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the initial strikes . The New York Times cited Iranian officials as saying he suffered injuries, including to his legs, on the opening day of the attack. They also told the paper he was alert and sheltering at “a highly secure location with limited communication” .
Democratic Senators Demand Accountability
In Washington, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and other senior Democrats sent a letter to President Trump demanding public hearings and answers about the administration’s strategy .
“Eleven days ago, the American people unexpectedly found themselves at war with Iran. Since then, despite the public’s overwhelming concern about this war, your administration has provided shifting, and at times conflicting, objectives for this war, refused to define the scope of US operations or the measurements for success, and failed to articulate an end game,” the senators wrote .
They also noted that gas prices have spiked about 20 percent since the conflict escalated, with crude oil prices surging to more than $100 per barrel—the highest level since 2022 .
Iranian Response
Iranian forces continue to pressure oil shipping by effectively closing the critical Strait of Hormuz . Iran has reportedly begun laying mines in the strait, a vital route for nearly 20% of global oil supplies, though Trump claimed US forces have destroyed most of Iran’s mine-laying ships .
Ali Fadavi, an adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that the country is prepared for a long “war of attrition” that could severely impact global economic and military stability .
