United States President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with CNN that the US military is "hitting hard" on Iran, but warned that the "big wave" of attacks has not yet happened.
In a nine-minute conversation with journalist Jake Tapper, Trump said: "We're hitting them hard. I think it's going very well. It's very powerful. We have the greatest military in the world and we're using it."
"The big wave is coming"
Asked how long the conflict might last, the president said he doesn't want the war to last too long. "I always thought it would last four weeks. And we're a little ahead of schedule," he said.
Trump stressed that the US is taking steps beyond a military offensive to help the Iranian people, but warned that the situation will get worse:
"We haven't even started hitting them hard yet. The big wave hasn't happened yet. The big one is coming very quickly."
"The Biggest Surprise": The Reaction of Arab Countries
According to Trump, the "biggest surprise" so far has been Iranian attacks on Arab countries in the region, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
"We were surprised. We told them, 'We have the situation under control,' but now they want to fight and they are fighting aggressively," he said.
The president added that Iranian attacks on civilian targets, including a hotel and a residential building, have angered countries in the region.
Uncertainty about leadership in Iran
Speaking about the internal situation in Iran, Trump said it is not clear who is currently running the country, following the first American strikes.
"They lost a lot in terms of leadership. 49 people. It was an extraordinary blow," he declared, adding that some of them were considered key figures for the future of the regime.
According to him, Iranian leaders "showed arrogance" by gathering all in one place, thinking they could not be detected.
"We did not reach an agreement"
Trump stressed that his administration had tried to negotiate with Tehran, but without success. He said that the Iranian side refused to stop enriching uranium.
Criticizing the nuclear deal signed during Barack Obama's presidency, Trump described it as "a path to the bomb," claiming that Iran would have obtained nuclear weapons within a few years.
He also mentioned the elimination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020 as part of a long-term campaign against the Iranian threat.
"We're handling this issue the right way. We don't have to worry about a deal," Trump concluded, before ending the call.
