Trump’s ‘Big Wave’ Hint After America’s Knockout Strike On Iran Regime
President Donald Trump signaled that the United States may be preparing to escalate its military campaign against Iran, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper that “Operation Epic Fury” is running ahead of schedule and that a “big wave” of action could be coming soon.
In a phone call described by Tapper on Monday, Trump said the U.S. is “knocking the crap out of Iran” and suggested the heaviest blows have yet to come.
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard,” Trump said. “I don’t want to see it go on too long. I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule.”
The remarks came after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan “Raizin” Caine confirmed that the United States has established air superiority over Iran. Caine added that additional U.S. forces are being deployed to the Middle East to provide the president with “credible options” if further action is required. Existing forces in the region are also being repositioned.
Trump also told the New York Post that he is not ruling out deploying ground troops if necessary.
“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground,” Trump said. “Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it. I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ or ‘if they were necessary.’”
The joint U.S.–Israeli operation has reportedly killed 49 Iranian military and political leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Trump, a single airstrike on Khamenei’s compound eliminated multiple senior figures at once.
“They don’t even know who’s leading them now,” Trump said. “We’re right on schedule, way ahead of schedule in terms of leadership — 49 killed — and that was going to take at least four weeks. We did it in one day.”
The conflict has not come without cost. At least four American troops were killed when an Iranian missile struck a U.S. position in Kuwait after evading defense systems. In a separate incident, three U.S. F-15E fighter jets were shot down in what officials described as friendly fire, though all six crew members ejected safely.
When asked who might replace Iran’s top leadership, Trump said the administration does not yet know who could emerge. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reiterated Monday that the administration’s objective is dismantling Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, not orchestrating regime change.
Still, Trump’s comments about a coming “big wave” suggest that the next phase of the operation may intensify as the administration presses its advantage.