Trump Says There Is “Practically Nothing Left To Bomb” In Iran As War Nears Possible End

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran may soon come to an end, arguing that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes have already destroyed most of the military targets available.

In a short phone interview with Axios, Trump suggested the military campaign has inflicted far greater damage on Iran than originally expected, leaving “practically nothing left to target.”

“Little this and that,” Trump said when describing the remaining objectives. “Any time I want it to end, it will end.”

Trump Says Campaign Moving Faster Than Expected

According to Trump, the joint U.S.–Israeli operation has progressed significantly faster than planners initially predicted.

“The war is going great,” Trump said. “We are way ahead of the timetable. We’ve done more damage than we thought possible, even within the original six-week window.”

The conflict has now entered its eleventh day, following a series of airstrikes and naval operations targeting Iranian military infrastructure. While Trump has repeatedly indicated the campaign may conclude soon, the administration’s timeline for ending the war has shifted several times since the conflict began.

Early in the operation, Trump suggested the war could last four to five weeks. Earlier this week, he said the mission was “pretty much complete” and would likely end soon. A day later, however, he warned that the United States could escalate attacks after intelligence reports suggested Iran had begun placing naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Strikes Destroy Iranian Mine-Laying Boats

American officials said intelligence gathered Tuesday indicated that Iran had started deploying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Although officials said the number of mines appeared to be relatively small, the move raised concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies.

Trump confirmed that U.S. forces responded with strikes that destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels, disrupting Tehran’s efforts to threaten shipping traffic in the region.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, making it one of the most strategically sensitive waterways on the planet.

Israeli Officials Signal War Could Continue

Despite Trump’s suggestion that the conflict may soon end, Israeli leaders indicated that military operations could continue for as long as necessary.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the campaign would not be bound by any strict timeline.

“The war will continue without any time limit for as long as necessary,” Katz said. “We will continue until all objectives are achieved and the campaign is decisively won.”

Similarly, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the United States would maintain pressure on Iran until its military capabilities are fully neutralized.

“The U.S. military will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated,” Hegseth said earlier this week.

Thousands of Targets Struck Across Iran

According to Brad Cooper, American forces have carried out a massive series of strikes since the conflict began.

In a video briefing Wednesday, Cooper said U.S. and allied forces have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, including dozens of naval vessels.

“Our combat power is increasing while Iranian combat power continues to decline,” Cooper said.

The strikes have targeted key elements of Iran’s military infrastructure, including:

• missile production facilities
• drone manufacturing plants
• naval vessels
• ballistic missile launch systems

Cooper also said that strike waves have occurred almost every hour from multiple directions during some phases of the campaign.

Iran’s Counterattacks Declining

Military officials say Iranian retaliatory attacks have significantly decreased since the early days of the war.

According to Cooper, ballistic missile and drone strikes launched by Iran have dropped sharply after the first 24 hours of the campaign.

However, U.S. officials say Iran has attempted to launch attacks from heavily populated areas inside the country, raising concerns about civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, American bombers reportedly struck a large Iranian ballistic-missile manufacturing facility overnight, further weakening the country’s ability to launch long-range attacks.

Objectives Focused on Military Capabilities

U.S. officials say the primary goals of the operation are limited to degrading Iran’s ability to threaten American forces and regional allies.

The campaign is focused on:

• destroying Iran’s missile and drone production capacity
• eliminating its naval threat in the Persian Gulf
• preventing Iran from projecting military power against neighboring countries

Officials have downplayed the possibility of pursuing regime change in Tehran or attempting to seize Iran’s nuclear stockpiles.

For now, the pace and scale of operations suggest the conflict may be nearing its decisive phase though leaders on both sides continue preparing for the possibility that fighting could persist longer than expected.