In a significant admission, Donald Trump said the United States was surprised when Iran expanded its missile attacks to several Gulf countries during the ongoing conflict. Speaking about the war, Trump acknowledged that the Pentagon and the White House did not expect Iran to target regional states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Trump also said Iran "fought back" despite heavy strikes by the US and Israel, claiming that most of Iran's missile and drone capabilities have now been destroyed.