In an interview broadcast on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump told CNN that the most significant phase of U.S. action in the confrontation with Iran has not yet occurred. "We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon," the president said, repeating a warning about forthcoming, larger-scale measures.
Trump also said that Washington lacks clarity about who now holds leadership in Tehran after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We don’t know who the leadership is. We don’t know who they’ll pick," he told CNN, expressing uncertainty about Iran’s succession following that event.
The remarks came amid reporting that many senior U.S. officials remain doubtful that ongoing or planned military operations will result in an immediate regime change inside Iran. Reuters reported on Sunday that skepticism persists among top U.S. officials regarding the prospect of near-term leadership change as a consequence of the military campaign.
Those close statements from the White House and remarks by U.S. officials underscore both an escalation in rhetoric and an unresolved picture of Iran's internal leadership. The president’s comments emphasize that, from his perspective, a larger set of actions is still to come, while other U.S. officials publicly question whether military measures will accomplish political transformation in the near term.
"We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon."
The interview highlights two central points: first, a declared intention by the U.S. president that more forceful measures are impending; and second, an admission of uncertainty about who heads Iran following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reporting cited in coverage also makes clear that some senior U.S. officials do not expect a swift change of regime as a likely outcome of the military operation.
No additional details on timing, scope, or targets of the actions the president signaled were provided in the interview. The public record in the interview is thus limited to the president’s statements about plans and uncertainty, and to the reporting that senior U.S. officials expressed skepticism about rapid regime change.
Context and implications
- The president has signaled a forthcoming intensification of U.S. military measures against Iran.
- There is acknowledged uncertainty in Washington about who is leading Iran following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- Reporting indicates senior U.S. officials remain skeptical that military action will produce near-term regime change.
Beyond the immediate statements, the interview leaves open questions about the timeline and the objectives of any escalated operations. The administration has voiced intentions of more forceful action while other officials publicly temper expectations about short-term political outcomes.