Trump warns of longer Iran war as violence spreads

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday (March 2, 2026) that his attack on Iran could extend longer than a month, as the war spread with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Tehran targeting oil facilities in Gulf countries.

New powerful explosions shook windows in Tehran early on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) as fighter jets flew over the Iranian capital, AFP journalists witnessed, while the United States urged Americans to flee all of the West Asia from Egypt east.

Mr. Trump said that the war, which began on Saturday (February 28, 2026) with a strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was going “substantially” ahead of schedule but that the United States was equipped for a prolonged conflict.

“From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” Mr. Trump said at the White House.

He also for the first time laid out objectives — destroying Iran’s missiles, navy and nuclear program and stopping its support for armed groups across the region — which notably did not include toppling the Islamic republic.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a strikingly new narrative of how the conflict started, saying that the United States joined only after learning ally Israel was set to strike Iran.

Rival Democrats voiced disbelief, with Senator Mark Warner saying it was “unchartered territory” for the United States to be triggered into action by Israel’s perception of a threat.