President Donald Trump faced pointed questions Monday about seemingly conflicting statements from his administration regarding the status of the war with Iran, as he insisted that major objectives have already been achieved even while acknowledging the conflict could still continue.
The issue surfaced after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an interview to 60 Minutes in which he suggested the military campaign is far from finished.
“What I want your viewers to understand is this is only just the beginning,” Hegseth told CBS anchor Major Garrett.
But in a separate phone interview with CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, Trump struck a very different tone.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” the president said.
The apparent contradiction became a focal point during a press conference Trump held Monday night at his Doral resort in Florida, where the war with Iran dominated much of the discussion.
In his opening remarks, Trump reiterated that he believes the United States has already accomplished most of what it set out to do militarily.
“Our objectives are pretty well complete,” the president said.
Later in the press conference, Jiang asked Trump directly about the difference between his statement and Hegseth’s remarks suggesting the conflict is only beginning.
“Mr. President, you’ve said the war is, quote, ‘very complete.’ But your Defense Secretary says this is just the beginning,” Jiang said. “So which is it? And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last for?”
Trump responded by arguing that both statements can be true at the same time.
“Well, I think you can say both,” Trump said.
According to the president, the main phase of the conflict has already delivered decisive results, but the situation could still evolve depending on what comes next.
Trump suggested that while the initial military campaign has effectively dismantled Iran’s capabilities, the future of the conflict may involve decisions about how far the United States wants to go.
“The beginning — it’s the beginning of building a new country,” he said.
Trump went on to describe the extent of the damage inflicted on Iran’s military infrastructure during the early days of the conflict.
“They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up,” Trump said.
He added that Iran’s radar systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and leadership have also been wiped out.
“They have no radar. They have no telecommunications. And they have no leadership. It’s all gone,” the president said.
Trump described the early phase of the war as a major success for the United States.
“We could call it a tremendous success right now, as we leave here,” he said.
At the same time, Trump left open the possibility that further action could still occur.
“Or we could go further, and we’re going to go further,” he said.
Despite that possibility, the president maintained that the most dangerous stage of the conflict has already passed.
“But the big risk on that war has been over for three days,” Trump said. “We wiped them out the first — in the first two days.”
Trump also described what he said was the destruction of Iran’s naval forces early in the campaign.
“When you think about it, it’s incredible. We wiped out a big Navy — very powerful Navy,” he said.
According to Trump, the fleet had been made up of ships designed specifically for combat operations.
“These were ships that you buy when you want to win battles,” he said.
Trump said those vessels are now destroyed.
“They’re all on the bottom floor,” he said.
The president also claimed that Iran’s sailors have refused to return to their ships and that the country’s air force has effectively been eliminated.
“The Air Force is gone. Everything is gone,” Trump said.
He also asserted that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities have been significantly degraded.
“The missiles are down to a trickle,” he said.
Trump added that Iran’s drone supply has been reduced to roughly 25 percent and could soon disappear entirely.
“The drones are down to probably 25 percent, and they’ll soon be down to nothing,” he said.
He also said facilities where drones were manufactured were currently being targeted by U.S. strikes.
“So the rest is going to be a determination as to my attitude, along with the people in the Trump administration, what we want to do,” Trump said.
While Trump portrayed the campaign as largely successful, the difference in tone between his remarks and those of his defense secretary highlights the uncertainty that often surrounds wartime messaging—especially when leaders balance claims of victory with the unpredictable realities of military conflict.
