U.S. President Donald Trump reacts to a question about the the fatal shooting in Minnesota, in which a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump is ready for war with Iran, and he's coming close to beginning it.
Axios reported Wednesday that sources say Trump is plotting a "massive, weeks-long" military operation that "would look more like full-fledged war than last month's pinpoint operation in Venezuela."
Military officials in former President George W. Bush's administration estimated about six months for the war in Iraq, recalled the Miller Center. It lasted nearly nine years. However, Bush declared "mission accomplished" about six weeks after the bombing began.
The war would be a joint U.S.-Israel operation with a "much broader scope — and more existential for the regime — than the Israeli-led 12-day war last June."
Axios said that Trump already came close to war with Iran last month when he learned that the government killed thousands of protesters. When he passed on an attack, the White House began talks while building up a significant military presence in the region.
"By delaying and bringing so much force to bear, Trump has raised expectations for what an operation will look like if a deal can't be reached," said Axios.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged "no new wars," promising supporters that he would end all foreign conflicts. Since then, he's bombed Iran once, and kidnapped the sitting dictator of Venezuela.