How long could the Iran war last? Here’s what Trump and Netanyahu say

While US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the idea of an “endless” war, President Donald Trump made clear there is no fixed timeline. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the campaign as decisive but warned it could “take some time,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the intervention as pre-emptive.

Also Read: Israel says its attack on Iran was ‘quick and decisive’; Netanyahu thinks it won’t be an ‘endless war’

The uncertainty comes as rockets and missiles continue to fly across the region. Israeli and US forces have intensified strikes inside Iran, while Tehran and its allies have retaliated against Israel and targeted US-linked sites in Gulf countries.

What Trump said

Trump has indicated the operation will not be constrained by a deadline.

“Whatever the time is, it’s okay — whatever it takes,” he said at the White House. “Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks. But we have capability to go far longer than that.”

He said the campaign was proceeding “substantially” ahead of schedule but signalled readiness for a prolonged conflict if required. “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground,” Trump told the New York Post, suggesting he was not ruling out deploying ground troops.

At the same time, he outlined four core objectives: destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, eliminating its naval capacity, ensuring it can never obtain a nuclear weapon, and preventing Tehran from arming and directing militant groups beyond its borders.

What Hegseth said

Hegseth sought to calm fears of another drawn-out conflict. “This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” he said, while cautioning that more American casualties were likely in the coming weeks.

What Netanyahu said

Netanyahu has similarly insisted the campaign would not turn into a forever war, but stopped short of offering a precise timeline.

In an interview with Fox News, he described the operation as “a quick and decisive action” and said it would not be “an endless war.”

“It may take some time, but it’s not going to take years,” he said, signalling that Israel expects a finite — though potentially extended — campaign.

What Rubio said

Rubio offered a different account of how the conflict began, saying Washington intervened after learning that Israel was preparing to strike Iran and after assessing that Tehran was readying attacks on American forces in the region.

He said Trump decided to act “pre-emptively” alongside Israel to blunt that threat. Rubio also noted that the US military build-up in the region had reached levels not seen since the 2003 Iraq invasion, underscoring the scale of preparations.

Also Read: Iran vows to attack any ship trying to pass through Strait of Hormuz

Regional impact

The uncertainty over duration comes as the fighting intensifies. Israeli and US forces have stepped up strikes inside Iran, while Tehran and its allies have retaliated against Israel and targeted US-linked sites in Gulf countries.

Washington has also urged Americans to “depart now” from much of the Middle East, citing “serious safety risks.”

According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far in the US-Israeli campaign, with strikes reported in more than 130 cities. Israeli authorities report 11 deaths, while 31 people have been killed in Lebanon.