The U.S. military’s Operation Epic Fury is going better than anticipated, and it hasn’t even scratched the surface, according to President Donald Trump.
In one of his first briefings since the weekend strike on Iran, Trump spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper and indicated Operation Epic Fury is “a little ahead of schedule,” and hinted at a “big wave” of military action that is “coming soon.”
Tapper’s report on his phone call with Trump came shortly after General Dan “Raizin” Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States had established air superiority over Iran.
In a nine-minute phone call with Tapper, Trump added that America is “knocking the crap out of Iran” and that “We haven’t even started hitting them hard.”
“I don’t want to see it go on too long,” Trump said.
“I always thought it would be four weeks. And we’re a little ahead of schedule.”
Trump also spoke with the New York Post on Monday morning, giving a blunt assessment of the operation so far.
According to Trump, the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran has killed 49 Iranian military and political leaders, including the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
An airstrike took out the Iranian leaders as they met at Khamenei’s compound, with Trump saying U.S. officials were “shocked” to take out so many leaders in one bombing.
“They don’t even know who’s leading them now,” Trump added.
“We’re right on schedule, way ahead of schedule in terms of leadership — 49 killed — and that was, you know, going to take, we figured, at least four weeks, and we did it in one day,” Trump told The Post.
Special Reporter anchor Bret Baier just got off the phone with President Trump: “He is very pleased with how things are going. Obviously, he is disheartened by the loss of life, and there may be more, he said, along the way. But as far as the progress, he said, they are ahead of… pic.twitter.com/dLdNjbt5sH
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 2, 2026
Despite the massive operation that’s already unfolded, Trump told Tapper that bigger things are coming and that he has warned citizens of Iran to stay inside.
“Right now, we want everyone [in Iran] staying inside. It’s not safe out there.’ And then the president said, it’s about to get even less safe. He said, ‘We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Tapper reported of his call with Trump.
CNN’s Jake Tapper after speaking with President Trump on the phone: “‘Right now, we want everyone [in Iran] staying inside. It’s not safe out there.’ And then the president said, it’s about to get even less safe. He said, ‘We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave… pic.twitter.com/ImGJk9RXtZ
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 2, 2026
General Caine said earlier on Monday that more U.S. forces are currently being deployed to the Middle East to “provide the president with credible options should action be required.”
Forces already in the region were also being strategically repositioned, Caine added.
Now it begs the question. Will combat troops be deployed on the ground?
Trump did not rule out putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran in his interview with The Post.
“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,” Trump said. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.’”
Tapper also asked Trump about who could emerge as the next leader of Iran.
Trump said his administration doesn’t know who could take over next.
Earlier today, War Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the Trump administration is focused on taking out Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, not on regime change.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for developing updates.