US President Donald Trump has claimed that the ongoing conflict with Iran could conclude “pretty quickly”.

In a meeting with congressional Republicans, the US president also defended Washington’s military campaign and highlighted what he described as key successes.

The United States, in coordination with Israel, launched large-scale air and missile strikes on Iran on February 28. The first day of the operation killed Iran’s then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump framed the campaign, which he calls ‘Operation Epic Fury’, as a “short-term excursion” designed to eliminate what he described as “some evil,” asserting that the US military’s capabilities would allow a rapid conclusion.

“Within a week, they were going to attack us, 100 per cent. They were ready,” Trump said, claiming that Iran had prepared missiles aimed at US targets and regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

No evidence was presented to support these assertions.

He said US forces had already neutralised roughly 80 per cent of Iran’s missile launchers and “knocked out” drones, and claimed that 46 Iranian naval ships had been sunk in the past three and a half days.

Trump also claimed that US forces sank “46 top-of-the-line” Iranian naval ships over a period of three and a half days.

He recounted asking a military official why the ships had been destroyed rather than captured.

According to Trump, the official replied, “It’s more fun to sink them. They like sinking them better. They say it’s safer to sink them. I guess it’s probably true.”

Trump described the actions as creating a “much safer world.”

Trump also highlighted the elimination of several Iranian leaders, saying that they are “gone” and that Iran’s new leadership remains uncertain.

He expressed disappointment at the naming of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, calling it likely to perpetuate regional problems.

While Trump said the US has “already won in many ways,” he asserted that efforts would continue until “ultimate victory” is achieved.

He linked the current campaign to his first-term operation that assassinated Qassem Soleimani.