US President Donald Trump said that the "big wave" in the war against the Islamic regime in Tehran was yet to come during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday.
“We’re knocking the crap out of them,” Trump said. “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.”
Additionally, Trump said that the 2020 strike that killed former IRGC chief Qassem Soleimani “was a big move,” and that “If that didn’t happen, then you might not have Israel today. Israel might not exist.”
The president noted that he didn't want to see the war drag on for too long, saying, "I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule.”
While Trump said the strikes were meant to help the Iranian people retake their country, he warned against them taking action during the strikes. "Right now we want everyone staying inside," he said, "It’s not safe out there.”
Iran's attacks on Gulf states and Khamenei's assasination
In the interview, Trump said he was surprised at Iran's attacks against the Gulf states, noting that Iran “shot into a hotel, they shot into an apartment house. It just made them [the Gulf states] angry. They love us, but they were watching. There was no reason for them to be involved.”
Pivoting to address the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Trump admitted he did not know who the next leader would be. “We don’t know who the leadership is," said Trump. "We don’t know who they’ll pick. Maybe they’ll get lucky and get someone who knows what they’re doing,” noting that the Iranians had lost “a lot in terms of leadership” in the opening hours of the war.