President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader during an interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. The appointment follows the death of Mojtaba’s father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike at the start of Operation Epic Fury.
Trump stated that he does not believe Mojtaba Khamenei “can live in peace” and commented that the timeline of the U.S. operation has exceeded expectations regarding results at this early stage. U.S. and Israeli operations in Iran are “way beyond expectation in terms of results this early.”
Trump warned in a Truth Social post on Monday that Iran will be struck “twenty times harder” if the regime does anything to obstruct the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz. The president also said the U.S. would “take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back” as a nation, but that he does not want the situation to get to that point.
The U.S. and Israeli militaries launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, targeting over 5,000 locations and damaging or destroying more than 50 Iranian ships within the first 10 days, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The operation focused on various strategic points, including command and control centers, headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence sites, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, and facilities related to the Iranian Navy, submarines, and military communications.
Additionally, the operation targeted anti-ship missile sites and manufacturing sites for ballistic missiles and drones, Fox News reported.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that American forces, day and night, “continue to deliver overwhelming firepower” during Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
“The Iranian regime can try to hide their missile launchers, but U.S. forces won’t stop looking. When we find them, we’re taking them out,” CENTCOM added in an overnight post on X, along with a video that showing the destruction of several missile launchers.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth added on Tuesday at the Pentagon that the United States is “winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus” as the operation against Iran entered its 11th day.
“As President Trump declared yesterday, we’e crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force,” Hegseth said. “We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated. But we do so, we do so on our timeline and at our choosing.”
“For example, today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever,” Hegseth continued. “So that’s on one hand. On the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they’ve been capable of firing yet.”
“The mullahs are desperate and scrambling,” Hegseth told reporters. “Like the terrorist cowards they are, they fire missiles from schools and hospitals, deliberately targeting innocents, because they know their military is being systematically degraded and annihilated.”
Hegseth also said Tuesday that Russia “should not be involved” at all in Iran as U.S. and Israeli operations continue.
Hegseth made the remark after Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to reports.
“The president, as I’ve said before, maintains strong relationships with world leaders, which creates opportunities and options for us in very dynamic ways. So the president said it was a good call,” Hegseth said.
“I was not on it, but those that were, said it was a strong call reaffirming, hopefully the opportunity for some for some peace in Russia-Ukraine and also, a recognition that as it pertains to this conflict, they should not be involved,” Hegseth added.
