President Donald Trump stated on September 2 that the recent military operations against Iran "won't last too long."
According to Reuters, Trump made the remarks during a press briefing at the White House in response to questions about the duration of the renewed strikes against Iran. He said, "I don't know how much longer Iran can endure. But it doesn't matter how long it is."
Trump emphasized, "We launched a strong attack on them last night. We destroyed all the new defensive and offensive equipment they were trying to establish along the Strait of Hormuz. We are ready to strike again whenever we want."
He also claimed that Iran was attempting to deploy mines in the strait, which the U.S. destroyed, and that Iran was trying to restore radar and missile systems, which also became targets of U.S. attacks.
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against Iran on August 30, marking the first such action in nearly a month, followed by additional strikes on September 1. Iran has attempted retaliatory attacks against U.S. forces, escalating military tensions in the region.
Amid these developments, there are efforts within the White House to prevent further escalation of the conflict with Iran ahead of the November midterm elections.
On September 2, Reuters reported that the White House is pursuing a strategy to manage the conflict with Iran relatively "quietly" until the midterms. This approach is seen as a way to prevent the Iran conflict from becoming a liability for the Republican Party, which is fighting to maintain a narrow majority in both the House and Senate.
Key advisors to Trump, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are reportedly focusing on strengthening economic sanctions and pressure against Iran rather than expanding military responses for the time being.
However, there are concerns that if Iran continues intermittent attacks against the U.S. or its Gulf allies, the U.S. may face pressure to retaliate. This raises uncertainty about whether escalation can be contained until November. Notably, Trump has frequently changed his stance, leaving open the possibility of expanding military operations depending on the situation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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