Dover: US President Donald Trump asserted that Iran had plans to dominate the entire Middle East, suggesting that his actions were instrumental in preventing such an outcome.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Trump addressed reporters on Sunday, emphasizing that Iran was no longer the formidable threat it was perceived to be just a week ago. "They're a paper tiger. They weren't a paper tiger a week ago, I can assure you. They were going to attack," Trump stated.

While traveling on Air Force One from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to Miami, Trump elaborated on Iran's alleged intentions. "Their plan was to attack the Middle East, take it all over," he claimed. When questioned about the expected duration of the conflict, Trump refrained from making predictions, stating, "I don't know. I never predict. All I can say is that we're ahead of schedule, both in terms of lethality and in terms of time."

Previously, Trump had suggested that the ongoing war might conclude within four to five weeks. In a related discussion, he did not dismiss the possibility of deploying special forces to secure Iran's enriched uranium, indicating that "everything is on the table. Everything."

A senior US administration official highlighted concerns last week, noting that Iran had accumulated sufficient enriched uranium to potentially produce weapons-grade material in a matter of days. The official indicated that much of this material was stored at sites targeted in June 2015, namely Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. The official added, "Theoretically, if we had control over that area, if we had actual control over those locations, we could send in our people and weaken them on-site."