US President Donald Trump warns of a prolonged Iran conflict as violence spreads to Lebanon and the Gulf, disrupting global energy markets and travel.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned on Monday that his military campaign against Iran could extend beyond an initial four-to-five week projection. The conflict has rapidly expanded, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Iran targeting Gulf energy infrastructure.
Trump stated the operation was proceeding “substantially” ahead of schedule but emphasised the US was equipped for a longer fight. “From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” he said at the White House.
He outlined US objectives as destroying Iran’s missiles, navy, and nuclear program while ending its regional proxy support. Notably, toppling the Islamic republic was not listed as a goal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a new narrative, claiming the US launched a “pre-emptive” strike after learning Israel was set to attack Iran.
“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked — and we believed they would be attacked — that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters. This account drew scepticism from Democratic lawmakers, with Senator Mark Warner calling it “unchartered territory.”
Iran has retaliated with cross-border missile and drone attacks, explicitly aiming to drive up global energy costs. Revolutionary Guards General Sardar Jabbari vowed, “We will burn any ship that tries to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
European natural gas prices surged over 39% after Qatar halted liquefied natural gas production following Iranian attacks. Qatar also shot down two Iranian bombers, marking the first direct engagement between Gulf Arab states and Iran.
Israel launched a major bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing at least 52 people and wounding 154. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam subsequently ordered an “immediate prohibition” of Hezbollah’s military activities.
In Tehran, powerful explosions shook windows early Tuesday as fighter jets flew overhead. The US urged all Americans to evacuate the Middle East from Egypt eastwards. Iran claimed 168 people were killed in a strike on a girls’ school, which Rubio said was under investigation.
Trump refused to rule out deploying US ground troops to Iran in a New York Post interview. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this, stating, “We’ll go as far as we need to go.”
The conflict’s spillover reached Europe when an Iranian drone hit a UK air force base runway in Cyprus. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer later clarified British bases in Cyprus would not be used by US forces, walking back a prior agreement.
Regional air travel faced major disruptions, though Dubai airports partially reopened late Monday. Six US military personnel have been killed, according to US Central Command, while Iranian media report hundreds of casualties.
