U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the war with Iran may last significantly longer than the four-to-five-week campaign initially suggested by his administration, even as he insisted Washington has no intention of being drawn into an open-ended conflict.

Speaking after a series of intensive air and missile strikes, Trump said U.S. forces had the capacity to sustain operations “for as long as necessary” to achieve what he called “clear and limited objectives.” Those goals, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, include crippling Iran’s missile arsenal, degrading its naval forces in the Gulf, and inflicting lasting damage on its nuclear infrastructure and the network of armed groups it backs across the region.

The war erupted after a U.S. strike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a move that shattered the already fragile balance of power in the Middle East and triggered a wave of retaliatory attacks. Iran has launched missiles and drones at Israeli territory and at U.S. partners in the Gulf, testing regional air defenses and raising fears of a broader confrontation.

In Saudi Arabia, two drones struck near the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, causing minor damage but no reported casualties. Saudi officials said additional drones were intercepted over strategic sites, underscoring the vulnerability of key energy and diplomatic hubs. Tehran has also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil exports passes, rattling global energy markets.

The conflict has spilled into Lebanon, where Israeli jets have pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas following rocket and drone attacks claimed by Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional ally. Casualty figures are mounting on all sides. Iranian authorities report hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction at military and infrastructure sites. At least 11 people have been killed in Israel and more than 50 in Lebanon, according to local officials. The U.S. military has confirmed the deaths of six American service members in the fighting.

As the violence intensifies, Washington has urged U.S. citizens in dozens of countries across the Middle East and surrounding regions to leave while commercial routes remain open. The sweeping advisory reflects mounting concern that the conflict could widen rapidly, drawing in additional state and non-state actors and turning a fast-moving military campaign into a protracted regional war.