President Donald Trump told Fox Business Network on Wednesday that the U.S. military campaign against Iran’s nuclear program is “very close to over,” though he stopped well short of declaring victory.
Trump made the remarks during an appearance on “Mornings with Maria,” where host Maria Bartiromo pressed him directly on whether Operation Epic Fury had concluded after weeks of American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“I think it’s close to over. I mean, I view it as very close to over,” Trump said.
His answer came with a caveat. He said the mission was not complete and that the situation would continue to unfold. At the same time, he expressed confidence that Tehran is now eager to negotiate a settlement.
Trump made no apologies for launching the campaign. He told Bartiromo the decision came down to a binary choice: act now or watch Tehran go nuclear. He argued that waiting would have been catastrophic, and that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon justified the costs of intervention.
He also argued that the physical damage already inflicted on Iran is so severe that the country would need two decades to rebuild its infrastructure, even if the U.S. stopped operations immediately.
Operation Epic Fury began in late March after U.S. intelligence confirmed Iran was weeks away from weapons-grade enrichment capability. The campaign involved coordinated strikes on enrichment facilities, missile production sites, and air defense installations across the country. Iranian state media reported significant casualties and destruction at multiple sites, though independent verification of the full scope of damage has been limited.
Oil markets reacted sharply when the operation launched. Crude climbed to $92 a barrel, and equity markets stumbled on fears of a prolonged conflict in the region. Bartiromo pressed Trump on whether that economic pain was worth it.
Trump said it was. He told her he was “willing to do that” to prevent a nuclear weapon from being used against the United States or the Middle East.
