Trump hints at quick departure from Iran, but forecasts 'spot hits'

President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted that the U.S. would leave Iran "pretty quickly" but that American forces might return to the country to make periodic "spot hits" in the future.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with Reuters as the war nears the five-week mark. The conflict began in late February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Public opinion appears decidedly in favor of a speedy exit, with 66% of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos survey expressing a preference for a quick end to the war, even at the cost of U.S. objectives.

Trump's approval rating amid the conflict, moreover, has taken a nosedive since the start of the conflict. At present, he boasts a 41.1% approval rating in the RealClearPolitics polling average. A further 56.7% disapprove of him.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.