'Whatever it takes, we'll do it': Donald Trump rules out timeline for Iran operations

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump dismissed questions about duration, saying, “Whatever the time is, it’s OK.”

“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections,” he said. “From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that. Whatever it takes, we’ll do it.”

Trump also brushed aside suggestions that he might lose interest in a prolonged operation.

“Someone thought I would get bored,” he said. “I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this.”

The remarks come as the United States continues joint military action with Israel amid escalating regional tensions.

Iran responded with a barrage of missiles and armed drones targeting Tel Aviv, US military bases across the region, and critical energy infrastructure.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict, plunging the country into political uncertainty and triggering fears of a wider regional war.

Explosions were heard on Monday across several Gulf cities as Tehran intensified its retaliation. An AFP journalist reported blasts in Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran and activated air-raid sirens.

In Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery after Iranian drones struck the facility, raising fears of disruption to global energy supplies.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has also entered the conflict, further widening the scope of hostilities.

Civilian life across the region has been severely disrupted. Flights were suspended for several hours at Dubai, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, after airspace closures across the United Arab Emirates.

An Iranian missile strike damaged a luxury hotel in the city, while Tehran claimed a US-Israel attack hit a school in Iran’s Minab town, killing more than 160 people, including children.

The scale and intensity of attacks over the past 72 hours have surprised military observers, with fears mounting that the conflict could spiral into a full-scale regional war.