U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he takes questions from reporters during an event to sign an executive order creating an anti‑fraud task force headed by U.S. Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump got more than he bargained for during an exchange with a Fox News reporter in the Oval Office on Monday.
Trump and multiple administration officials gathered in the Oval Office to commemorate his formalization of a new federal anti-fraud task force, which he announced during his State of the Union address in February. During a question-and-answer segment, Trump was asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy whether the U.S. can wrap up the war in Iran this week.
"If Iran, as you say, [were] totally obliterated. Got the missiles, the first two rounds of leadership. Army gone. Navy gone. Can we wrap this war up this week?" Doocy asked.
"Sure, I guess," Trump said.
"Will we?" Doocy continued.
"I don't think so, but it will be soon," Trump said. "It won't be long."
Doocy's question underscored the contradictory accounts of the war in Iran coming out of the White House. When Trump first announced the U.S. was coordinating strikes against Iran with Israel, he said one of the goals was to create the conditions for the Iranian people to rise up and form their own government.
Since then, Trump has said the war began to ensure that Iran doesn't get nuclear weapons. Last year, the Trump administration bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities and claimed they were "totally obliterated" in the process.