Summary
- US President Donald Trump warned the conflict with Iran could last longer than a month.
- Drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh as Tehran escalated retaliation across the Gulf.
- Iran threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has warned that the United States is prepared for a prolonged conflict with Iran, as retaliatory strikes ripple across the Middle East and tensions threaten to engulf key oil routes.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said the war — which began Saturday with a US strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei — was progressing “substantially” ahead of schedule but could extend beyond initial projections.
“From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said.
Drones Hit US Embassy in Riyadh
The warning came hours after two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, causing what officials described as a limited fire and minor material damage.
The US mission urged American citizens in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dharan to shelter in place. Shortly beforehand, Washington had advised Americans to leave Middle Eastern countries from Egypt eastward.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry confirmed intercepting eight additional drones over two cities, including the capital.
Trump vowed retaliation “soon,” but declined to specify how or when.
Air Superiority Over Tehran
Overnight, powerful explosions shook Tehran, as fighter jets roared above the capital. The Pentagon said US forces had achieved air superiority over the country.
Trump outlined the operation’s objectives for the first time: dismantling Iran’s missile and naval capabilities, crippling its nuclear programme, and halting support for armed proxy groups across the region.
Notably, he stopped short of calling for regime change — despite earlier urging Iranians to rise against their government.
Strait of Hormuz Threat
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards escalated rhetoric further, threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
“We will burn any ship that tries to pass,” a Guards commander warned.
The threat rattled energy markets and followed missile and drone attacks that forced Qatar’s state energy firm to halt liquefied natural gas production.
Regional Fallout
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeted positions linked to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed movement that claimed rocket and drone attacks on Israel following Khamenei’s death.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took the rare step of ordering Hezbollah to halt military activities and surrender its weapons.
Meanwhile, Qatar said it shot down two Iranian bombers — the first confirmed instance of a Gulf Arab state directly striking Iranian aircraft in this conflict.
How the War Began
Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a new account of the war’s origins, saying the United States intervened pre-emptively after learning Israel was poised to attack Iran and fearing Tehran would immediately target US forces.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi rejected that narrative, calling it “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations would continue but would not become “an endless war.”
“It may take some time, but it’s not going to take years,” he said.
Rising Death Toll
The conflict’s human cost continues to mount. US Central Command confirmed six American service members have been killed so far.
Iranian media reported hundreds of casualties, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said 101 people had been killed inside Iran by the third day of fighting, including civilians.
In Tehran, residents face a tense duality — fear of bombardment mixed with uncertainty about what comes next.
The conflict now spans multiple fronts: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the Gulf.
With threats to global energy supplies, embassy strikes, and expanding military engagement, the question is no longer whether the war will spread — but how far and how long it will last.
Trump says it won’t take years.
But he is preparing for longer than a month.
