Trump signals US ready for prolonged war, but says Iran military 'knocked out'
New York, March 3
US President Donald Trump signalled on Tuesday that he was ready for a prolonged war in a post on Truth Social, asserting that its munition stockpiles can hold out.
In a post that used the ominous word "forever", he said, "As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons" at the medium and upper medium levels.
"The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better," he wrote.
On Monday, Trump said that he expected Operation Epic Fury to last four to five weeks, but he was ready if it was "to go far longer than that".
On Tuesday, at his meeting with Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump sounded optimistic, saying, "They have no navy, it's been knocked out ... They have no air force, it's been knocked out. ... Just about everything's been knocked out".
But Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, indicated an early end to the conflict was unlikely.
"We are at the earliest stages of this campaign," he said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, ruled out a prolonged war.
He told Fox News, "You're not going to have an endless war".
The Iranian regime was at its weakest, he asserted.
"So this is going to be a quick and decisive action," he said.
He claimed that they would create conditions for the Iranian people "to form their own democratically elected government."
In a US domestic challenge to continuing the war, the stock markets took a big hit early Tuesday, with the Dow Jones and other major indexes down about 1.3 per cent, after an even bigger drop at the opening.
Crude oil prices were up about 6.5 per cent, fuelling fears of inflation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The conflicting statements are worrying. The President says one thing, his Under Secretary says another, and Netanyahu says something else. It creates uncertainty in global markets, which affects everyone, including Indian investors.
While the US focuses on Iran, I hope our government is watching our own borders closely. Regional instability can have spillover effects. Our security forces must remain on high alert.
"To form their own democratically elected government" – sounds familiar, doesn't it? We've seen this script before in other regions. External powers deciding the fate of a nation rarely ends well for the common people of that country. A respectful criticism: lasting peace can't be bombed into existence.
The immediate 6.5% jump in crude is the real headline for India. Our import bill will skyrocket. Time to fast-track our renewable energy plans and reduce this dependency. Jai Hind!
Hope India's diplomacy is working overtime. We have good relations with many Gulf nations and need to ensure the safety of our huge diaspora there and the security of our energy supplies. A delicate balance to maintain.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.