President Trump arrives for a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Monday. President Trump on Monday refused to box himself in on how long U.S. military operations will last in Iran, saying the conflict in the Middle East could stretch a month or potentially “far longer” as he frames the mission as one that is necessary to eliminate a “colossal threat” to American interests. “Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that. Hegseth and Trump both warned that any threat to Americans would be met with force. Advertisement“The Middle East has more powers than just the United States as an actor,” Harris said.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 02, 2026 20:35 UTC