Trump says military operation against Iran is an 'excursion' that 'had to be done'

President Donald Trump said on Monday that the military operation against Iran “was just an excursion into something that had to be done. We’re getting very close to finishing that too.”

He held a press conference shortly after addressing a Republican congressional retreat at his hotel in Miami, Florida, the Trump National Doral. 

Just days after saying that he would only accept “unconditional surrender” from Iran, he said military action would end “very soon,” according to The Hill. 

With the U.S. death toll so far now at eight, Trump was asked how many war casualties he was prepared to endure, to which he replied that the families of the fallen told him to “finish the job sir, please finish the job.” 

Trump warned Iran not to disrupt exports. He threatened going after easy to hit targets that would be “devastating,” citing electricity production as an example.  

“We’ve left some of the most important targets for later. In case we need to do it,” Trump said. 

“If we hit them, it’s going to take many years for them to be rebuilt, having to do with electricity production and many other things.”

Trump stated that the U.S. if offering risk insurance to any tankers operating in the Persian Gulf, even suggesting that the U.S. military might possibly escort ships through key waterways that are under threat of attack by Iran.