Trump: Iran Would Have Attacked 'Within a Week'

At a news conference Monday, President Trump was asked about his comments earlier in the day in which he told a reporter that the war was "very complete," while the Pentagon said on social media: "We Have Only Just Begun to Fight." Trump was asked whether it was the end or the beginning and said, "It's the beginning of building a new country," a comment that seemed to suggest the US might be engaged in the building of a new Iran, the AP reports. Trump suggested that the war was for the benefit of other nations, especially those dependent on oil that's shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. "I mean, we're doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China," Trump said.

• War over "pretty soon." Trump said the war would be over "pretty soon," but added: "We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough." He said the US was saving some of the "most important" targets, including Iran's electrical grid, for later strikes, if necessary, France24 reports.

• New nuclear site. Trump told reporters that the war with Iran began because that country was starting work on a new site for developing material for nuclear weapons. Trump said the new site was meant to replace facilities bombed last year by the US. "But they were starting work at another site, a different site, different kind of a site—and that was protected by granite," Trump said. The president added that Iran wanted to use the "exponentially growing ballistic missile threat to make it virtually impossible to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon," claiming that Iran would have otherwise been able to take over the Middle East.
• Iran would have attacked "within a week." The president dismissed criticism from some Democratic officials that there was no reason for the US and Israel to strike Iran. "Well, I'll give you the best reason of all. Within a week they were going to attack us, 100%. They were ready," Trump said. He did not offer any information to support that statement but said Iran had "all these missiles, far more than anyone thought." However, Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings that US intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the US, the AP reports.

• Mojtaba Khamenei. Trump declined to say whether Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new leader, had a "target on his back," the Guardian reports. He said he was "disappointed" that Khamenei, son of the country's slain leader, was chosen, but saying whether he would be targeted "would be inappropriate."
• Putin. Trump said he had a "very good call" with Vladimir Putin on Monday, in which they discussed the war in Ukraine, as well as the Middle East, Reuters reports. Trump said Putin "wants to be helpful" with the Iran war, but he told him, "You could be more helpful ‌by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with. That will be more helpful."
• A "short-term excursion." Earlier Monday, Trump opened his address to House Republican lawmakers by talking about Iran, saying "we took a little excursion" to the Middle East "to get rid of some evil. And, I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion." The legislators met at Trump's golf club near Miami.