The reaction from Donald Trump came after a dramatic leadership change in Iran during the ongoing conflict. Iranian officials announced that Mojtaba Khamenei would become the country’s new supreme leader following the death of Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in an airstrike at the start of Operation Epic Fury.
During an interview with Trey Yingst, Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei “cannot live in peace,” while claiming the early results of the military campaign had exceeded expectations. He described the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes as more successful than planners initially anticipated.
Trump also warned Iran against threatening the Strait of Hormuz, saying any attempt to disrupt shipping would trigger retaliation “twenty times harder.” While emphasizing U.S. capabilities to strike vulnerable sites, he added that he hoped the conflict would not escalate further. Launched on February 28, Operation Epic Fury has targeted more than 5,000 locations across Iran. According to United States Central Command, strikes damaged or destroyed over 50 Iranian vessels within the first ten
