US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the United States was not ready to leave the military operation in Iran yet, but that "we'll be leaving in pretty much the very near future."
He added that it may take Iran 10 years to repair the damage caused by the war, but that the change must be made permanent.
Trump warned Iran strikes could trigger retaliation on US Gulf allies, sources say
Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against US Gulf allies despite his claims on Monday that Tehran's reaction came as a surprise, said a US official and two sources familiar with US intelligence reports.
Pre-war intelligence assessments did not say that Iran’s response was "a guarantee, but it certainly was on the list of potential outcomes," said one source, who, like the other two, requested anonymity to discuss the issue.
The president twice on Monday said that Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait were a surprise, the first time at a Kennedy Center board meeting in the White House.
"They (Iran) weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East," he said. "Nobody expected that. We were shocked."
Trump’s assertion followed other administration claims that have not been backed by US intelligence reporting, such as that Iran would soon have a missile capable of hitting the US homeland and that it would need two to four weeks to make a nuclear bomb and would then use it.
Trump says NATO's refusal to help on Iran is 'very foolish mistake'
Trump on Tuesday said the United States had been informed by most of its NATO allies that they did not want to get involved with the country's military operation in Iran, a move he described as a "very foolish mistake."
Speaking at an Oval Office event, Trump said NATO countries were supportive of the joint US-Israeli war, which has now entered its third week, even as they did not want to get involved.
"I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake," Trump said. "Everyone agrees with us, but they don't want to help. And we, you know, we as the United States have to remember that because we think it's pretty shocking," he added.
Trump called on nations to help police the Strait of Hormuz after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the channel for tankers.
But several US allies said on Monday they had no immediate plans to send ships to help unblock the strait, effectively rebuffing Trump's plea for military support.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!." He singled out Japan, Australia and South Korea.