The war against Iran would be a "short-term excursion," President Donald Trump said Monday, while insisting that the United States and Israel "haven't won enough" against Tehran.
Trump's comments at a gathering of congressional Republicans at his golf club in Doral, Florida, cast further uncertainty over his timeline after he said in a CBS News interview that the conflict was "very complete, pretty much."
"We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some people. And I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion," Trump said in a speech.
The 79-year-old repeated his boasts about the destruction of the Iranian navy, air force and missile program.
But Trump – whose earlier CBS comments indicating an end to the war was in sight had caused stocks to jump and oil prices to drop – added that the United States and Israel had more to do.
"We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough," Trump said, calling for "ultimate victory" against Iran.
Referring to the killing of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders, Trump added that the United States "will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated."
