From virtually the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February, President Trump has insisted it is almost over. And he's continued to give timelines ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Fifteen weeks later — three times longer than his initial four-to-five-week estimate — ending the war has proven elusive. The president has at times shifted his language about the conflict, sometimes referring to it as an "excursion" rather than a war. After a sometimes shaky ceasefire was reached in April, Mr. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that the "war" phase — Operation Epic Fury — is over, despite intermittent attacks and the lack of an agreement to end Iran's nuclear capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz without conditions. The U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran began on Feb. 28, with assurances from Mr. Trump that it would not last long. "Four to five weeks"March 1Mr. Trump said on the day after airstrikes began that the U.S. military intended to sustain its assault on Iran for "four to five weeks" if necessary. He said it "won't be difficult" for Israel and the U.S. to maintain the intensity of the battle, even as he warned of the possibility of more American casualties."Four weeks"March 2"I don't want to see it go on too long," Mr. Trump told CNN during a phone interview. "I always thought it would be four weeks. And we're a little ahead of schedule."