As the war in Iran persists and President Donald Trump has postponed new strikes, a Middle East expert tells Military.com that the ongoing military operation could last “months, if not years.” Trump on Monday made a series of threats and remarks regarding Iran amid continued failed negotiations. He started the day by correlating the United States’ ongoing attempts for a peace deal to the hypothetical reaction it would receive by the “Fake News Media,” specifically mentioning “The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN” when mentioning that Iran “wildly waving the white flag” would lead to the media claiming Iranian victory. After saying “the clock is ticking” on a peace deal, Trump told the New York Post on Monday that Iran knows "what's going to be happening soon,” adding he’s "not open" to any concessions for Tehran due to how recent negotiations fell through.
President Donald Trump speaks as he tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
He also went on Truth Social and said he told Pentagon leaders that the U.S. “will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow [Tuesday].” Rather, he said he told them "to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.” On Tuesday, Trump told reporters at the White House that he was “an hour away” from deciding to strike Iran, adding, “We were all set to go.”
