President Donald Trump has repeatedly made conflicting statements about the duration and status of the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran (Operation Epic Fury, launched February 28), oscillating between declarations of swift victory and open-ended commitments. Within days of the conflict's start, Trump described it as a "short excursion" expected to last "four to five weeks," yet simultaneously proclaimed that victory had already been achieved — while also warning that "lots of bombs start going off" if a ceasefire were to expire. With U.S. and Iranian representatives now expected to meet in Pakistan to discuss ending the war, the pattern of contradictory signals from both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has raised significant questions about whether Washington has a coherent endgame strategy for one of its most consequential military engagements in years.