12 times Trump signaled the Iran war was about to end

Reality check: The U.S. is currently in its fifth week of the Iran war, running up against Trump's original timeline of four to five weeks.

• The U.S. has sent 50,000 troops to the Middle East as a part of the ongoing conflict, with no immediate end in sight.
• Though the White House had stopped short of signaling troops on the ground, taking over Kharg Island or storming into Iran to take uranium have been suggested by multiple reports.

What they're saying: The White House pointed to comments made by officials when reached for comment.

• "We are very close to meeting the core objectives of Operation Epic Fury and this military mission continues unabated," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 25.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday on "ABC Good Morning" that all "objectives are being met ahead – on or ahead of schedule and should be able to achieve in a matter of weeks."

Here are 12 times Trump's mentioned the war's end.

1. President Trump threatened in a Monday Truth Social post to "obliterate" Iran's energy and water infrastructure if a deal to end the war isn't reached.

• If "the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran" by attacking those plants," he said.

2. Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on March 26: "They're defeated, they can't make a comeback."

3. Trump claimed on March 24 that the war was already over and that Iran would go through a regime change.

• "We've won this war. This war has been won," he told reporters.

4. Trump hinted at an Iran war peace deal on March 23 in an all-caps Truth Social post, saying the U.S. and Iran had "VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS" over a peace deal.

• If a deal wasn't made, Trump told reporters, "we'll just keep bombing our little hearts out."

5. Trump suggested in an interview on March 13 with Fox News that the war would end when "I feel it in my bones," but he didn't "think it's going to be long when it's over."

6. Trump offered a candid assessment of the war on March 12: "They are pretty much at the end of the line. It doesn't mean we are going to end it immediately — it is only a question of when."

7. President Trump told Axios on March 11 that the war with Iran will end "soon" because there is "practically nothing left to target." He said the war will end "any time I want it to end."

8. The same day, Trump told a crowd: "You never like to say too early you won. We won. In the first hour it was over."

• Minutes later, he added: "We don't want to leave early, do we? We gotta finish the job, right?"

9. Trump hinted that the U.S. already won the war during a speech at the Republican Issues Conference on March 9.

• "We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough," he said. "We go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long-running danger once and for all."

10. Trump said on March 9 that the Iran war will be over "very soon" and that Iran is "all gone. We could call it a tremendous success right now."

11. Trump touted success again in a March 2 press conference to award the Medal of Honor to three U.S. soldiers. "We will easily prevail. ... Whatever it takes," he said.

12. Trump said the operation was an unmitigated success in an interview with ABC News on March 2 — just days after the war began.

• "Nobody else could have done this but me, and you know that," he said.

Go deeper: Trump says he won't call Iran conflict a war. He keeps doing it anyway.