WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump continues to declare victory in his military campaign against Iran, but his administration has provided conflicting messages about how and when the 12-day conflict might conclude.
Global financial markets remain unstable and Trump’s approval ratings have declined since he initiated the military action against Iran. The president has alternated between demanding Iran’s complete capitulation and suggesting he might accept a scenario where one hardline Iranian leader simply replaces another.
The inconsistent messaging from Trump and his senior officials has heightened uncertainty surrounding the nearly two-week-old military engagement, which has affected virtually every region of the Middle East while creating economic instability worldwide. With both nations refusing to back down, the conflict’s trajectory remains uncertain with no clear resolution in sight.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed journalists that Trump will determine “whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end” of the military action. During a Monday address to House Republicans, Trump described the conflict as both a “short-term excursion” that might conclude quickly while also declaring “we haven’t won enough.”
These contradictory statements have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers who argue the president lacks defined objectives. “They didn’t have a plan,” Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly stated to reporters. “They have no timeline. And because of that, they have no exit strategy.”
Following his decision to begin bombing Iran, Trump has repeatedly modified his timelines and objectives for the military campaign, creating more confusion than clarity through his shifting rhetoric.
In recent days, the president has demanded Iran’s leadership accept “unconditional surrender” while simultaneously claiming he has already accomplished his goal of destroying Iran’s military capabilities.
Trump’s administration has attempted to reassure concerned Americans that this will not become a prolonged engagement, even as the president maintains that deploying ground forces remains a possibility.
Military officials report significant damage to Iran’s naval forces and substantial progress in neutralizing the country’s missile and drone capabilities used against regional neighbors. However, the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles about 20% of global oil shipments daily, remains blocked for commercial traffic, and Iranian leadership shows no signs of yielding.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has pledged to prevent “a single liter of oil” from passing through the crucial waterway until America ends its bombing operations. Ali Larijani, Iran’s senior national security official, responded defiantly on Tuesday after Trump threatened to strike Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if Tehran continues blocking oil shipments through the strait.
“The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani posted on X. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Trump has found it challenging to justify to Americans why preventive military action against Iran was essential and how it aligns with his campaign promise to avoid the “forever wars” of recent decades that he has criticized for their financial and human costs. So far, eight American service members have died and approximately 140 have been wounded in Iranian counterattacks across the region.
Among Trump’s various justifications for initiating the war, he has stated he had a “feeling” that Iran was preparing to attack the United States.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt modified this explanation, telling reporters the president’s “feeling” was “based on fact.”
Despite this claim, Pentagon officials have privately informed congressional staff that U.S. intelligence agencies have no evidence suggesting Iran was planning a preemptive strike against America.
Recent surveys indicate Trump’s decision to attack Iran has not generated the typical surge of public support that usually accompanies the start of American military conflicts.
Approximately half of respondents in Quinnipiac and Fox News surveys said U.S. military operations in Iran make America “less safe,” while only about 30% in each poll believed it improved national security. A CNN survey found roughly half of American adults think the military action makes Iran “more of a threat” to the U.S., while only about 30% believed it would reduce the danger.
The CNN poll also revealed that about 60% of American adults trust Trump “not much” or “not at all” to make appropriate decisions regarding U.S. military force in Iran.
European partners are proceeding cautiously after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez experienced Trump’s anger for what he considered insufficient support for his military campaign.
Even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has generally supported the U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, expressed concern on Tuesday that “more questions arise with every day of war.”
“Above all, we’re concerned that there is apparently no joint plan for how this war can be brought quickly to a convincing end,” Merz stated.
Merz emphasized that “Germany and Europe have no interest in an endless war” or in seeing Iran’s territorial unity collapse.
Trump has avoided taking responsibility for the bombing of a girls’ school in southern Iran during the conflict’s first day, an attack that resulted in at least 165 deaths.
On Saturday, Trump blamed Iran for the incident, claiming its security forces have “very inaccurate” weapons.
After the investigative organization Bellingcat published verified footage on Monday showing a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile striking a Revolutionary Guard compound near the school and causing the explosion, Trump maintained it might still be Iran’s responsibility but said he would accept the findings of an ongoing U.S. investigation.
The president incorrectly stated that Tehran possesses Tomahawk missiles, a U.S.-manufactured weapons system available only to America and select close allies.
When questioned by a reporter, Leavitt avoided directly addressing why Trump made the false claim about Iran having access to the American-made missiles.
She responded partly that “the president has a right to share his opinions with the American public” while noting “he has said he’ll accept the conclusion of that investigation.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told reporters that Trump’s assertion “is beyond asinine.”
“Again, he says whatever pops into his head no matter what the truth is,” Schumer stated. “And we all know he lies, but on something as formidable as this, it’s appalling.”
Senator Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, was among Trump supporters who gently urged the administration to clarify what occurred at the school.
Cramer said the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.”
“But you also can’t undo it,” he added.
