Trump vows to hit Iran ‘very hard’ after obliterating nearly ’90 percent’ of regime missiles
President Donald Trump revealed more plans for the war with Iran, vowing to continue “decimating” the regime over the coming days and touting the mission as “ahead of schedule.”
“We had no idea it would be this far ahead. We’ve knocked out close to 90% of their missiles,” Trump said in an interview that aired Friday on the “Brian Kilmeade Show.”
The president said the U.S. has taken out the majority of Iran’s missiles and drone manufacturing sites, adding that the military is “hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War II.”
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While Trump did not provide a specific timeline for the conclusion of what he called an “excursion,” he said the U.S. has “virtually unlimited ammunition.”
The president also said the U.S. is prepared to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary to protect oil shipments. The Iranian Navy has claimed responsibility for a series of strikes on commercial vessels transiting the strait.
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The disruptions have sent oil prices soaring. Trump said the U.S. would escort the vessels “if we needed to,” adding that pressure on Iran would increase this week.
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“We’ve already damaged them so badly it would take years for them to ever rebuild,” Trump said, adding, “And we’re going to be hitting them very hard over the next week.”
The military campaign has already resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian officials named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the next supreme leader. Trump criticized the decision in remarks this week.
The new supreme leader released a statement Thursday vowing that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the war ends and warning neighboring countries that U.S. military bases must be removed.
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In a post on Truth Social Friday, Trump alluded to further imminent action, writing, “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 continued, writing, “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, a move Trump cited as justification for the military campaign.
Inside the Israeli drone unit taking on Iran and Hezbollah
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Squadron 200, also known as the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadron, has played a crucial role in destroying more than half of the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile launchers as the 14th day of the war unfolds across the Middle East.
Fox News Digital gained access to one of Israel’s most experienced and veteran UAV operators from Squadron 200. “I have been flying drones for the past 25 years and other operational missions have prepared me for this war,” said the IDF Squadron leader.
He summed up the highly sensitive nature of his work in protecting the Israeli civilian population. “Every night that my wife and my kids sleep a full night without an alarm is something I can give credit to the air force and drone operators.” Israel’s technology system warns Israelis with mobile phone messages and wailing public alarms that provide an advanced notice of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
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The IDF drone commander said the main goal of his squadron is to “find rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles that are a risk to our pilots who fly over and destroy them before they launch missiles and gain air superiority for the area and reduce the risk for civilians back at home.”
He added that “We can take a lot of credit for the reduction” in Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel.
The stakes are high for the UAV operators. Iran’s aerial warfare campaign has led to the deaths of 12 Israelis and over 2,975 people have been admitted to Israeli hospitals.
An IDF spokesman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Iran has launched “many dozens of missiles with cluster bomb heads spread across Israel.” The cluster munitions are particularly lethal because they murder or severely injure with scattered bomblets that can also stay active long after their launch.
Just days ago, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israeli military spokesman, told Fox News Digital that the army has had a “near complete success” rate in stopping Iranian drones from hitting Israeli targets.
However, the drone commander warned that the “great decrease in the number of launchers does not mean we can sit and rest.”
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The IDF drone commander said, “one thing we learned from October 7 is that we should eliminate risks before they become too big.”
“The important thing is the goal of bringing peace to the Middle East,” he said with reference to when Iran and Israel had cordial relations before the 1979 Islamic Republic revolution in Iran and President Trump’s advocacy for peace in the region.
The complex running of a drone team was described as “orchestra” work, by the UAV operator, where a 3-person crew — commander, pilot and operator — seamlessly coordinate their various activities.
According to the IDF, Squadron 200 operates the Heron-1 (“Shoval”) UAV, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, which is used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, support of ground forces and precision strike missions.”
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The IDF said that the air force’s drones “are capable of remaining airborne for extended periods and providing real-time intelligence to forces on the ground, both day and night and over long distances.
The squadron was established in the 1970s as part of the development of the Israeli Air Force’s UAV array and has since participated in numerous operations across different arenas.”
Hegseth scolds CNN’s ‘unserious’ report on Iran conflict, suggests Paramount owner should overhaul network
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth taunted CNN on Friday over its looming likely takeover by Paramount CEO David Ellison, saying he hoped it happened soon as he criticized its coverage of the U.S. war with Iran.
“More fake news from CNN,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. “‘Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran War’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz.’ Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage.”
“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” he added. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
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A spokesperson for CNN told Fox News Digital, “We stand by our reporting,” but did not respond to the Ellison remark.
Hegseth’s jab comes weeks after Paramount prevailed in its bidding war against Netflix to buy the entirety of CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Ellison still has a long legal road ahead of him both domestically and abroad before he gets handed the keys to WBD, but his takeover would have a major impact on the media and entertainment industries.
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The potential Paramount-WBD merger has sparked many industry questions, including whether CNN would merge with CBS News, which is currently being reshaped by Ellison and his appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
CNN staffers worry that Ellison, son of billionaire and President Donald Trump ally Larry Ellison who is providing financial backing to Paramount’s $111 billion offer for WBD, will implement a MAGA-friendly pivot in the newsroom.
In a recent interview, Ellison insisted CNN would maintain “editorial independence” but that the goal would be to appeal to the 70% in the center left and center right instead of the political fringes.
There’s also concern by some that Weiss would become their new boss following the corporate merger.
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Weiss, who is often branded by her liberal critics as being conservative despite her outspoken left-of-center politics, is already leaving her mark on CBS News in the early months of her tenure as editor-in-chief, particularly tapping the network’s morning show co-host Tony Dokoupil to anchor “CBS Evening News.”
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Multiple CBS staffers have left the network citing a politicized editorial shift being implemented.
New Iranian supreme leader ‘likely disfigured,’ Hegseth says
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Friday morning press briefing that the U.S. “is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military” and that the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader was injured and “likely disfigured.”
“Desperate and hiding, they’ve gone underground, cowering,” Hegseth said of Iranian leadership.
“That’s what rats do. We know the new so-called not-so-Supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” he said.
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Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the beginning of the war, issued a statement on Thursday that Hegseth described as “weak.”
“It was a written statement,” Hegseth said. “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father, dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It’s a mess for them. Who’s in charge? Iran may not even know.”
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“We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” Hegseth said.
“Soon, and very soon, all of Iran’s defense companies will be destroyed,” he noted.
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“I serve God, the troops, the country, the Constitution, and the president of the United States and answer only to those, all in service of victory on the battlefield and the military objectives that we’ve laid out from day one: Defeat the missiles, missile launchers and defense industrial base, which I laid out today. Defeat the Navy and deny Iran the ability to have a nuclear weapon. Clear, decisive, achievable.”
Trump says US ‘totally destroying’ Iran: ‘Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today’
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. was “totally destroying” and “killing” Iran, warning to watch “what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”
“We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in the early morning hours on Friday.
“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 continued. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.”
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Trump also appeared to signal significant developments later on Friday, writing, “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”
“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!” the president said.
TRUMP SAYS US ‘TOTALLY DESTROYING’ IRAN AND TO ‘WATCH WHAT HAPPENS’ FRIDAY
The president’s post comes nearly two weeks since he launched the U.S. war against Iran in conjunction with close U.S. ally Israel on February 28.
The effort has proven controversial, and Americans have been facing surging gas prices domestically during the conflict.
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“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
I served with my dog Dasty in Afghanistan. Dogs are man’s best friend on the battlefield
America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, a milestone made possible by the service members who have answered the call of duty since 1776. But the story of our country — and how we got here — is incomplete without including the contributions of the four-legged heroes who have served alongside our brave men and women in uniform.
These dogs deserve an extra treat and belly rub this Canine Veterans Day (March 13) — especially my Dutch Shepherd, Dasty.
Courageous canines have fought alongside U.S. troops since the Revolutionary War, helping guard munitions stockpiles and serving as battlefield messengers. Fast-forward more than 150 years, and the K-9 Corps was officially formed during World War II, with roughly 1,600 working dogs now serving in our armed forces.
Whether as bomb sniffers, trackers or assault support units, the American soldier has no better ally than man’s best friend. My four-legged sidekick is part of this patriotic legacy.
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Our story began in 2018 when I was paired with Dasty — 3 years old at the time — at Fort Huachuca out west. Although we initially worked alongside the base police department, we were soon sent to Missouri for explosive detection training, a 60-day course that taught us to work as a team to uncover deadly weapons. From there, we deployed to Afghanistan.
Dasty and I shared a modest tent at Forward Operating Base Dahlke in the Logar Province, where twin-sized mattresses awaited both of us. My canine partner provided a huge morale boost on base and, as you can imagine, was quite popular among the service members. Other soldiers frequented our tent just to spend time with Dasty — petting sessions that I can assure you he enjoyed just as much as they did.
Beyond bringing comfort to soldiers far from home, Dasty also saved lives. He located enemy IEDs and weapons, which too often prove deadly to American service members, and performed admirably in combat situations. While under enemy contact, Dasty stayed calm and focused.
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After the deployment ended, we returned to the states and were stationed at a military base in Northern Virginia, where Dasty’s important work continued. We participated in multiple Secret Service missions for both Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and we also helped train other military canine teams. It was gratifying to see others form such strong bonds with their dogs — a type of relationship that I had come to treasure in my own life.
Finally, in 2022, I said goodbye to the Army to pursue a new career in Wisconsin and spend more time with my family. While I was looking forward to the next phase of my life, the change meant I had to part ways with Dasty, who would remain in the military — a heartbreaking separation that I hoped would not last forever. Thankfully, we had one final chapter.
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When it was time for Dasty to retire two years later, I contacted the American Humane Society — which my wife had heard about — to see if they could help reunite us. The organization stepped up in a big way by flying Dasty from Arlington, Va., to my home in Green Bay, Wisc., and pledging to cover any future veterinary bills. The financial support proved invaluable just a few months ago when the nonprofit paid for a spinal surgery that restored Dasty’s ability to walk.
U.S. military dogs are paws-on-the-ground all around the world — helping safeguard American lives and advance strategic national security interests as we mark 250 years of independence. Dasty is one of these loyal and patriotic heroes who deserves recognition. Now, finally off duty, he can fetch some well-earned rest — and a chew toy.