The Trump administration says it is pursuing options to end its military campaign against Iran within “weeks,” even as negotiations continue and additional U.S. troops deploy to the Middle East.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described on Monday morning what he called a narrow but achievable path to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing the conflict to a close.
“They are making threats about controlling Hormuz Strait in perpetuity, creating a tolling system and the like. That’s not going to happen,” Rubio said of the Iranian regime in an interview with Good Morning America. “We are going to achieve our objectives in a matter of weeks, not months.”
Other administration officials have expressed similar confidence about the timeline and progress of the operation, known as Operation Epic Fury.
Vice President JD Vance said in a recent interview that the United States does not intend to remain engaged in Iran long-term.
“We are not interested in being in Iran a year down the road, two years down the road,” Vance said. “We are taking care of business, we are going to be out of there soon.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that the campaign has already met almost all of its objectives, noting that the operation was initially expected to last four to six weeks.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the operation has involved more than 11,000 strikes and combat flights, as well as damage to more than 150 Iranian vessels.
Rubio added that the objectives have remained unchanged since President Donald Trump first outlined them when the operation began: dismantling Iran’s air force and navy, severely degrading its missile-launching capabilities, and destroying key military-industrial infrastructure and factories.
“All of this so that they can never hide behind it to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is still engaged in what he described as “serious” talks with a “new, and more reasonable, regime” in Iran.
Even as negotiations continue, U.S. military assets continue to move into the region. Thousands of soldiers and Marines have arrived in the Middle East, according to Central Command, expanding the administration’s options if negotiations fail. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon is considering sending 10,000 more ground troops to the region.
U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27. The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about… pic.twitter.com/JFWiPBbkd2
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 28, 2026
A report from The Washington Post said potential U.S. targets could include Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub and coastal military positions near the Strait of Hormuz.
“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached — which it probably will be — and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island … which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched,’” Trump wrote.
He has made similar threats earlier this month, but walked them back after negotiations reportedly began.
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