National Defense

‘The Big One Is Coming’: Trump Tells CNN ‘Big Wave’ Of Iran Strikes Still To Come

[Screenshot/CNN]

President Donald Trump said Monday that a “big wave” of U.S. strikes on Iran are still to come, according to CNN’s Jake Tapper, who spoke to Trump by phone.

The president told Tapper on a phone call that reportedly lasted about nine minutes that the U.S. initially believed the action against Iran could take about four weeks, but that events are ahead of schedule. He also warned that forces haven’t started hitting Iran “hard” yet, and that a “big wave” of strikes are set to happen soon.

“The president said, ‘we’re knocking the crap out of them, I think it’s going very well. It’s very powerful. We’ve got the greatest military in the world and we’re using it.’ I also asked the president how long he thought this military operation or war might last,” Tapper said. “He said, ‘I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks, but we’re a little ahead of schedule.’ I also asked if the U.S. was doing more than these military strikes to help the Iranian people gain control of Iran against the regime, to seize the country from the Iranian regime. And he said, ‘yes,’ the president says. ‘We are indeed.'”

“And then the president said, ‘It’s about to get even less safe. We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened, the big one is coming soon,'” Tapper continued.

WATCH:

The U.S. and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury early Saturday morning to target the Islamic Republic of Iran, its nuclear program and senior Iranian officials, killing dozens dozens in the leadership including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Four American service members died and at least five others were wounded during the beginning of combat operations against Iran, the Pentagon announced on Sunday.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said earlier Monday that the administration will go as far as they deem necessary to achieve victory, and did not rule out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Iran.

“But going forward, why in the world would we tell you, you, the enemy, anybody what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective? We fight to win. We fight to achieve the objectives the president of the United States has laid out. And we will do so unapologetically,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth told the Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese that the U.S.’ objectives are to prevent Iran from having nuclear, ballistic missiles, drone or offensive capabilities.