On Monday, March 9, 2026, President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran is “very far” ahead of schedule and likely near completion.
In a phone interview with CBS, Trump remarked: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force.”
Earlier that day, Trump dismissed rumors of an impending ground invasion of Iran, asserting: “We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it.”
The President reiterated his stance that the United States would only accept “unconditional surrender” from the Islamic Republic of Iran and would not engage with Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei—the son of Iran’s deceased dictator, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump declared: “I have no message for him. None, whatsoever.”
Since the initiation of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted a sustained bombardment of Iranian political and military targets, effectively decapitating the Islamic Republic of Iran’s top leadership and crippling its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), navy, air force, and ballistic missile capabilities. However, Iranian drone attacks have resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, though Trump indicated that the U.S. Navy may move to secure the vital waterway.
Trump warned: “They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country.”
