U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday, March 9, that the ongoing war involving Iran could end soon, expressing confidence that the conflict would not last much longer. He made the remarks during a press briefing while addressing the escalating military situation in the Middle East.
The conflict began on February 28 when Trump announced the start of what he described as “major combat operations” against Iran. The campaign involved large-scale joint airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel, targeting Iranian military bases, government facilities and strategic infrastructure.
Iranian state television later confirmed that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Tehran during the first wave of strikes. His death marked a major turning point in the conflict. On Sunday, Iranian authorities named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new supreme leader, a move that has sparked debate both inside and outside the country since he had never held an elected government position.
Despite Trump’s claim that the war could end soon, the fighting continues to intensify across the region. Iran has launched waves of missiles and drones in retaliation, targeting Israel, U.S. military bases in the region and several Gulf countries allied with Washington.
At the same time, Israel has expanded its military operations beyond Iran. The Israeli military has also increased attacks against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, a militia group backed by Iran that has long been involved in cross-border tensions with Israel.
The escalating conflict has raised global concerns about a wider regional war, as analysts warn that continued strikes and retaliatory attacks could draw more countries into the crisis if diplomatic efforts fail to ease tensions.