President Donald Trump held a press conference Monday at his golf club in Florida as the United States entered its second week of military strikes against Iran, addressing both the progress of the operation and rising global energy prices.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the beginning of the U.S.-Israel military campaign, Trump said the operation is moving faster than expected and achieving key objectives.

“We’re making major progress toward completing our military mission,” Trump said. “Some could say we’re very close to finishing. Iran’s military capabilities have been severely weakened, and much of its naval power has already been destroyed.”

According to the president, U.S. forces are ahead of schedule compared with early projections.

“We’re well ahead of our initial timeline,” Trump said. “Frankly, I don’t think anyone expected we’d be this far along after only a short period of time.”

Trump noted that the United States has deliberately avoided targeting certain critical infrastructure sites, including electricity production facilities, although they remain potential targets.

“We’ve chosen not to hit some of the most important infrastructure yet,” he explained. “Those targets are easy to strike, but the consequences would be extremely severe. We’re holding off for now to see how the situation develops.”

The president also addressed the recent surge in global oil and gas prices following the conflict, saying the long-term outlook for energy security will improve once the threat from Iran’s military activities is eliminated.

“In the long run, oil supplies will be far more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles, or nuclear ambitions,” Trump said.

Global oil prices briefly approached $120 per barrel earlier Monday before easing, while U.S. gasoline prices have risen in recent days. Trump acknowledged the increase but argued that the broader strategic goals of the operation outweigh short-term market volatility.

“We expected oil prices might rise temporarily,” he said. “But they will come back down. And the world will be safer and more stable when this threat is gone.”

Trump also told reporters that Iran’s military capacity has been significantly degraded.

“They’ve lost much of their navy and communications systems,” he said. “Their air force is gone, their missile capabilities are scattered, and their drone operations are being dismantled.”

The president described the operation as a long-overdue effort to confront what he called a dangerous regime.

“This is something that should have been dealt with decades ago,” Trump said. “No previous president was willing to take action. We are removing a major threat to global stability.”

Despite the administration’s confidence in the campaign’s progress, the operation has sparked debate at home as rising fuel prices and questions about the conflict’s long-term impact continue to draw attention from lawmakers and the public.