US President Donald Trump will determine what constitutes "unconditional surrender" by Iran in the face of US-Israeli bombardment, the White House said on March 10, amid questions about how long the war may last.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt's comments came on what US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned would be the "most intense day of strikes inside Iran," and in the wake of a statement by Trump that the campaign would end "very soon."

"Ultimately, the operations will end when the commander-in-chief determines the military objectives have been met, fully realized, and that Iran is in [a position of] complete and unconditional surrender whether they say it or not," Leavitt told reporters.

On March 7, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that there would be "will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

Trump is "not claiming that the Iranian regime is going to come out and say it themselves," Leavitt said, adding that he "will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender when they no longer pose a direct and credible threat to the United States and our allies."

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At a new conference and in interviews with multiple media outlets on March 9, Trump made several remarks that suggested the war could end soon. The comments eased concerns on financial markets, partially reversing a steep drop in share prices the previous day and pushing the price of oil down after a sharp rise.

Uncertainty persisted, however, and Hegseth telegraphed a day of heavy strikes on March 10. He said the objective is to destroy Iranian missiles and its military production capabilities, as well as to destroy Iran's navy.