Iran conflict: Trump says ‘haven’t even started hitting them hard’ — US President says ‘big one is coming soon’

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump on Monday said that a "big wave" in the Iran conflict is yet to come, as reported by CNN.

“We’re knocking the crap out of them,” Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “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” Trump told CNN in an interview.

President Donald Trump — who campaigned against involving American soldiers in protracted wars overseas — told CNN the operation is “a little ahead of schedule,” having thought it would last four weeks.

“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon," Trump told CNN.

Iran has continued launching missile strikes across the Middle East in retaliation for the weekend attack that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Explosions were reported in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The attacks triggered the largest oil price spike in four years, led airlines to suspend flights, and caused major disruptions at some of the world’s busiest airports.

Qatar and the UAE are reportedly urging allies to convince President Trump to seek a diplomatic solution, hoping to prevent further escalation and a prolonged surge in energy prices.

On Sunday, Trump urged Iran’s military leaders to transfer power to the Iranian people and indicated he would be willing to engage with any new leadership, according to The Atlantic. In response, Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, stated that Tehran will not negotiate with the U.S., dismissing reports that he had contacted American officials through Omani mediators.

Larijani also told Agence-France Presse that Iran is prepared for a “long war.”

Tehran is looking to name a new supreme leader after Khamenei was killed during the opening salvo of strikes. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said he “hopes” a successor will be elected “within the next few days.”

The US-Israeli operation began after three rounds of talks with Iran over a deal to restrict Tehran’s atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

The Iranians lost “a lot in terms of leadership” because of the initial strikes, Trump said, as reported by CNN. “They got a little bit arrogant” by meeting all in one place, he added. “They thought they were undetectable. They weren’t undetectable. We were shocked by it.”

On Monday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog expressed frustration over the breakdown of diplomacy, noting that satellite imagery indicates Iran’s nuclear sites have largely avoided damage during the current strikes.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, calling them a “blatant violation” of international law, and said Turkey stands with the Iranian people amid the escalating conflict, Reuters reported.

Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, had repeatedly urged Washington and Tehran to reach a deal during their recent negotiations, cautioning that the region could not withstand further instability.

"As their neighbour and brother, we share the pain of the Iranian people," he said at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Ankara, and added that the U.S.-Iran dispute had grown into war after provocations from Israel, as reported by Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)