President Donald Trump delivers a speech to the country regarding the Iran conflict from the White House in Washington, April 1, 2026.Alex Brandon/AP
As the hostilities with Iran enter their fifth week, President Donald Trump maintains his position that the U.S. is progressing faster than expected, despite his initial forecast of the conflict lasting only four weeks "or less."
On Wednesday evening, during his first televised address to the nation since the commencement of the conflict, Trump stated his aims would be finalized “very shortly,” while also mentioning that U.S. attacks would persist over the “next two to three weeks.”
President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, April 1, 2026.Alex Brandon/AP
“I can declare this evening that we are on course to fulfill all of America’s military goals soon, very soon. We intend to strike [Iran] with great force over the ensuing two to three weeks. We're going to revert them to the Stone Ages where they belong. Meanwhile, discussions are underway,” he remarked.
In the Oval Office the day before, Trump speculated that the war could conclude in “two or three weeks.”
Should the war conclude in three weeks, the entire conflict would extend beyond seven weeks — nearly two months — exceeding any timeframe initially projected by the administration.
Nevertheless, the president and his team continue to assert that the U.S. is ahead of schedule, a claim they have reiterated since the war’s inception over a month ago.
On Tuesday, Trump mentioned in an interview with CBS News that the U.S. is “two weeks ahead of schedule.”
ABC News has previously reported on the contradictions within the administration’s suggested “schedule.”
At the start of the war on Feb. 28, the president posted on his social media platform that the U.S. would continue bombing Iran “throughout the week or, as long as necessary.” That same day, he informed ABC News' chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl that the conflict would persist “as long as we desire it to, actually.”
President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 31, 2026.Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
In the days that followed, Trump was quoted suggesting various timelines, including "Always been about a four-week process," "four weeks — or less," "four to five weeks," "whatever is required," "no limits on time" and "short-term undertaking."
On March 1, the day after the war began, Trump commented in an interview with the Daily Mail, “It's always been a four-week process. We anticipated it would be around four weeks. It's consistently been a four-week endeavor so – despite its intensity, it's a sizable nation, it'll require four weeks – or less."
The subsequent day, the president maintained a more flexible timeline, stating during a Medal of Honor event at the White House that he “projected four to five weeks,” but that the U.S. possesses the "ability to persist significantly longer than that" and was prepared to continue for “whatever it demands.”
On March 5, during an interview with TIME Magazine, Trump stated, “I have no constraints on time regarding anything… I desire to finalize it.”
Several days later, on March 8, speaking with ABC News’ chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce, Trump refrained from predicting the war’s duration but insisted that “we are progressing faster than expected in both the intensity of our strikes and the time required.”
However, Trump has also expressed expectations for the war to last around four to six weeks.
“We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to fulfill our objective, and we're well ahead of schedule,” Trump stated during a Cabinet meeting last week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on March 30, 2026 in Washington.Alex Wong/Getty Images
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has maintained that the administration has “always” envisioned a four- to six-week period. She continues to emphasize this timeline during her weekly briefings, while simultaneously contending that the U.S. is ahead of schedule.
“Regarding the timeline, again, the president, commander in chief, the Pentagon has consistently indicated a four to six weeks estimated timeline for Operation Epic Fury. Today marks day 30. Therefore, I reiterate, calculate how much longer we, the Pentagon, require to completely accomplish the aims of Operation Epic Fury,” Leavitt communicated on Monday.
Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Leavitt stated that ultimately, Trump will determine when the war concludes.
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart, Isabella Murray, and Nicholas Kerr contributed reporting.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com