During his first formal press conference since the Iran conflict began, President Donald Trump said that he expects the war to end “very soon.” Speaking to reporters at his Miami golf club, the president addressed American casualties in the joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.
According to the BBC, at least seven U.S. service members have been confirmed killed since the war began. A reporter asked Trump how many more deaths he was willing to endure. The President responded, “When you have conflicts like this, you always have death.”
He added that he met with the grieving families at Dover Air Force Base two days ago, and they all had one message for him. “They were unbelievable people, but they all had one thing in common. They said to me one thing, every single one, ‘finish the job, sir, please finish the job.’ And I will leave you at that,” said Trump.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just CONFIRMED that the gold star families who lost their child to Iran told him to DEFEAT IRAN
“I met the parents, unbelievable people. They all had ONE thing in common. Every single one said: ‘FINISH THE JOB, sir. PLEASE, finish the job!'” ❤️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DdlURhq2YI
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 9, 2026
Only a week earlier, when there were three confirmed deaths of U.S. troops, the same President warned that there might be more. “We grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” he said.
Then added, “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
On Monday, the president called the war in Iran an “excursion.” When asked how long he thinks it would last, he said that it will be done “very soon.”
“We’re very proud to be involved in this, and it’s going to end soon. And if it starts up again, … they’ll be hit even harder,” he said during the press conference. He claimed that the United States is achieving “major strides toward completing our military objective.”
.@POTUS: “On Saturday, I traveled to Dover Air Force Base to be with the families of six fallen warriors… hardest thing to do… They all said one thing to me: ‘Make sure you win, sir’… We go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this… pic.twitter.com/LpXZ2Cnj62
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 9, 2026
“Some people could say they’re pretty well complete. We’ve wiped every single force in Iran out, very completely,” the POTUS added. He has made it clear that he does not accept the new supreme leader of Iran, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei. However, he has not made it clear who he thinks should be the preferred option.
“I think soon. Everything [Iran] has is gone, including their leadership. Most people haven’t even heard of the leader they’re talking about (to replace the ayatollah),” Trump added.
However, although he seems to be proud of the military operation in Iran, the president has revealed that there are several targets the U.S. has yet to hit. He said that they will be taken “out in one day,” but the administration is “waiting to see what happens before we hit them.”
