"Close to 90 per cent of Iran's missiles knocked out": Trump vows to hit Tehran "very hard"

Speaking in an interview that aired on the 'Brian Kilmeade Show', Trump said the military campaign was progressing faster than expected.

"We had no idea it would be this far ahead. We've knocked out close to 90 per cent of their missiles," Trump said.

The US president said American forces have targeted the majority of Iran's missile and drone manufacturing sites. "We're hitting them harder than anybody's been hit since World War II," he said.

While Trump did not provide a specific timeline for the end of the operation, he said the United States has significant military resources available.

The president also said Washington is prepared to escort oil tankers through the strategic Strait of Hormuz if necessary amid disruptions to shipping. "If we needed to," the US would escort vessels to protect oil shipments, he said.

Trump added that the pressure on Iran would intensify in the coming days.

"We've already damaged them so badly it would take years for them to ever rebuild," he said, adding, "We're going to be hitting them very hard over the next week."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also hinted at further military action.

"Iran's Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth," he wrote, adding, "We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time. Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today."

The United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury after nuclear negotiations with Tehran failed, according to the news report.

Earlier, US president Donald Trump told Fox News that he thinks Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was alive but injured. He added that the US was 'decimating' Iran, adding that the Persian Gulf country has been hit harder than anyone else since World War 2.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News on the Brian Kilmeade Show. When asked if he thinks Iran's new supreme leader was alive, Trump said, "He probably is. I think he's damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form". (ANI)