President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States could intensify its military campaign against Iran, boasting of America’s military strength and threatening further attacks that could devastate Tehran’s remaining capabilities.
In an early morning post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. military has overwhelming power and signaled that additional strikes were imminent.
“We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time – Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today,” the president wrote.
“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” he continued. “What a great honor it is to do so!”
According to U.S. Central Command (Centcom), American forces have struck approximately 6,000 Iranian targets since the conflict began at the end of February. U.S. operations have also hit or sunk more than 90 Iranian vessels during the campaign.
Trump’s remarks come as tensions escalate following threats from Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed power after his father was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike.
In his first public statement since taking power, Khamenei vowed retaliation against American forces in the region. His message came amid reports that he had been severely injured during the strike that killed his father, with speculation circulating that he had been in a coma and had part of his leg amputated. Khamenei also reportedly lost his wife in the same attack.
In a statement read by Iranian state media, Khamenei warned that Iran would escalate the conflict if necessary.
“The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed. American bases in the Middle East must be closed,” he said. “Iran’s other military and regional capabilities will be activated if necessary.”
Trump responded to the threat during an interview with Fox News commentator Brian Kilmeade, saying Iran’s leadership has done “a lot of talking” but may soon be forced to act.
“We’ll have to see because we are decimating them,” the president said. “We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out many of their drones. We knocked out a lot of the manufacturing areas where they manufacture the missiles and now the drones. We’re hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War II.”
The president also said he believes Iran’s new supreme leader is still alive despite reports of severe injuries.
“I think he probably is. I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, yeah,” Trump told Kilmeade in an interview set to air Friday morning.
Senior U.S. officials echoed Trump’s assessment that Iran’s leadership has been severely weakened.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Friday that Khamenei “lacks legitimacy” and suggested the new leader is in hiding following the strikes that killed his father.
“Iran’s leadership is in no better shape. Desperate and hiding, they’ve gone underground, cowering. That’s what rats do. We know the new so-called not so supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon.
“He put out a statement yesterday. A weak one, actually, but there was no voice. And there was no video. It was a written statement,” Hegseth continued.
“He called for unity, apparently killing tens of thousands of protesters is his kind of unity. Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run and he lacks legitimacy.”
Hegseth also indicated that the United States was preparing to significantly expand its military operations Friday.
“Today will be yet again the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran,” he said.
“The number of sorties, the number of bomber pulses, the highest yet, ramping up and only up.”
U.S. officials say the sustained campaign has dramatically degraded Iran’s military capabilities.
“Iran has no air defenses. Iran has no air force. Iran has no navy,” Hegseth said earlier. “Their missiles, their missile launchers and drones being destroyed or shot out of the sky. Their missile volume is down 90%. Their one way attack drones yesterday, down 95%.”
“And as the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Straits of Hormuz. It’s something we’re dealing with. We have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it. We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” he added.
The strategic waterway has become a focal point of the conflict. About one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said American forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait earlier this week as Iran attempted to disrupt shipping through the crucial route.
