WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran would be over "soon."
When asked whether the strikes could be over this week at a press conference in Florida, Trump said no. "But soon. Very soon," he said.
Trump presented what sounded like a contradictory message, declaring that U.S. goals were largely accomplished while supporting U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's earlier warning that the battle is only beginning.
"Well, I think you could say both," Trump said. "It's the beginning of building a new country."
Trump claimed that Iran now has "no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft equipment. It's all been blown up."
According to Trump, U.S. forces have struck more than 5,000 targets since the U.S. and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
"Some of them very major targets," Trump said, adding that the U.S. military is leaving "some of the most important targets for later in case we need to do it."
"If we hit them, it's going to take many years for them to be rebuilt, having to do with electricity production and many other things," said Trump.
Trump said he was "disappointed" with Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader, but refused to answer whether the younger Khamenei would be targeted for a lethal assault.
"I was disappointed because we think it's going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country. So I was disappointed to see their choice," Trump told reporters.
Trump also said the White House would be "waiving certain oil-related sanctions to reduce prices," but did not specify which sanctions would be lifted.
"We have sanctions on some countries. We're going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out," Trump said. He also threatened that if Iran made any "attempt to stop the globe's oil supply," it would "get hit at a much, much harder level."
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Monday on X that the country has "many surprises in store" for the United States, and also highlighted Iran's readiness for any U.S. "plot." ■