U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Iran would be “hit very hard” as Operation Epic Fury enters its second week, warning that areas and groups not previously targeted are now “under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death” due to Tehran’s recent activities.
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment, because of Iran’s bad behaviour.”
The warning follows statements from Iranian officials, including Masoud Pezeshkian, who pledged that Iran would not surrender.
Trump described Iran as no longer “the bully of the Middle East,” but instead “the loser of the Middle East,” signalling a willingness to expand the targeting of locations and groups not previously considered.
The statement comes amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets, and Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks against U.S. interests and regional allies in the Gulf, who have reported several successful interceptions.
The conflict began after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader in late February, leading to heightened tensions across the region, repeated attacks on Gulf states, and risks to civilian infrastructure and oil supplies.
