U.S. could end Iran military operations ‘right now’ but staying longer

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States could “immediately” end Iran’s military operations, leaving Tehran unable to rebuild its military capabilities for a decade.

But Trump told MS Now’s Stephanie Ruhle in a phone call that this was “not acceptable.”

“If we leave right now, it will take them at least 10 years to rebuild, but they will,” Trump said during the roughly 15-minute call.

“If we stay any longer they’ll never be able to rebuild,” he said.

Trump’s comments followed multiple news outlets reported He said the Pentagon would send up to 2,500 more sailors from San Diego to the Middle East. This second reported distribution Thousands of US troops were sent to the region last week.

Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday that he would not put his boots to the ground in Iran.

Later that day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “there has to be a key component” to achieve meaningful regime change in Iran.

Netanyahu appeared to be referring to the Iranian people in his remarks, saying they would eventually have to “seize the moment.” But he added that there are “many possibilities for this ground component.”

The United States and Israel share “substantially similar” goals toward Iran, Trump said in an interview with Ruhle on Friday.

“The difference is, they live right next door. We don’t. That’s a big difference,” he said.

Netanyahu and Trump said Iran’s current leadership is uncertain because many members of Tehran’s regime, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed in airstrikes in the first three weeks of the war.

Khamenei was succeeded by his son Mujtaba Khamenei. Iran’s new religious leader expressed his desire to strengthen Tehran’s ties with its regional neighbors in a statement celebrating the start of the Iranian new year on Friday.