White House Alarmed as Iran Digs In: 'We'll Do Whatever It Takes'

As U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran enter their fourth day, signs are mounting that Tehran is preparing for a protracted conflict. The White House has acknowledged Iran's counterattack exceeded expectations, while President Donald Trump said he is not ruling out deploying ground troops.

U.S.: 'Iran's Response Stronger Than Expected'

Dasha Burns, Politico's White House bureau chief, said on a podcast Monday that sources she spoke with over the weekend described Iran's response as "bigger and stronger than expected."

The U.S. had assessed this was "the weakest moment in Iran's history," given Tehran's muted response to last June's "Midnight Hammer" nuclear facility strikes, combined with mass protests and economic hardship. That calculus now appears questionable.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday this "is not something that will be resolved quickly," noting that "various forces are deployed across a vast combat space."

Iran's Strategy: Exhaust Costly Defenses with Cheap Drones

Iran appears to have shifted into attrition mode. The Financial Times reported that after most of Iran's missiles were intercepted following last June's strikes, Tehran revised its strategy. It is now targeting not only U.S. bases in Gulf allied nations but also civilian facilities with short-range missiles and drones.

Tehran is prioritizing low-cost missiles and drones to deplete enemy interceptors while preserving advanced missiles for later stages.

Robert Campbell, a former British Army major, told the FT: "Iran knows that interceptor missiles like THAAD are expensive and take years to develop. They appear to be firing older missiles first to exhaust weapons stockpiles while saving newer solid-fuel missiles for later."

British security expert John Phillips told Al Jazeera: "Iran's strategy is to survive the intense U.S.-Israeli pressure and maintain second-strike capability, even if it absorbs initial damage."

With midterm elections approaching in November, Trump faces pressure from rising oil and consumer prices as the war drags on. Iran appears to be buying time to seek opportunities for counterattack.

Trump Doesn't Rule Out Ground Troops: 'Something Bigger Is Coming'

The U.S. is responding accordingly. While Iran may be holding back advanced missiles, that strategy depends on launch sites surviving American airstrikes. As Hegseth put it at his press conference: "We will strike the archers, not the arrows."

Trump did not rule out ground forces. "Other presidents have said 'no ground troops,' but I don't have that phobia about ground troops," he told the New York Post. "I say 'probably won't need them' or 'if we need them, we can send them.'"

He also said the war could last longer than the previously indicated four to five weeks. In a CNN interview, Trump said: "We haven't even started hitting hard. The wave hasn't even begun. Something bigger is coming soon."

At a White House event, he added: "I don't care how long it takes. We'll do whatever it takes."

Hegseth confirmed additional troops are being deployed.

Qatar LNG Facility Hit; Gas Prices Surge 46%

Qatar Energy announced Monday that an Iranian drone attack halted operations at the Ras Laffan LNG facility. Natural gas futures on the Netherlands' TTF exchange surged 46%.

Major General Ebrahim Jabbari, an aide to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, warned: "We will burn every ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Not a single drop of oil will leave this region."