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U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the war with Iran could end soon because there is "practically nothing left to target," according to comments he made in a phone interview with Axios.
Trump said the military campaign had exceeded expectations and caused more damage than initially anticipated.
"The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period," Trump told Axios during the five-minute call.
"Little this and that... Any time I want it to end, it will end," he said.
Trump also said Iran's hostility extended beyond Israel and the U.S. to other countries in the region.
"They were after the rest of the Middle East. They are paying for 47 years of death and destruction they caused. This is payback. They will not get off that easy," he said.
Despite Trump's remarks, U.S. and Israeli officials said there has been no internal directive on when the fighting might stop.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the war would continue "without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign."
Officials from Israel and the U.S. said preparations were underway for at least two more weeks of strikes in Iran.
U.S. intelligence received on Tuesday suggested Iran had begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical chokepoints for oil supply.
Officials said it remained unclear how many mines Iran had deployed, though assessments indicated the number was very small.
Trump confirmed to Axios that U.S. strikes on Tuesday destroyed 16 mine-laying boats and disrupted Iranian plans.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video message Wednesday that the U.S. military aims to eliminate Iran's ability to project power and harass shipping in the strait.
"U.S. forces continue delivering devastating combat power against the Iranian regime. U.S. combat power is building, Iran's combat power is declining," Cooper said, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had declined significantly.
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