U.S. President Donald Trump said that killing representatives of the Iranian leadership, whom he called "lunatics," would be a "great honor" for him.
"They have been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, the 47th President of the United States, am killing them. That's a great honor!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Friday, March 13.
According to him, it is a mistake to think that American military personnel are currently "completely destroying Iran's terrorist regime" and that the U.S. is not winning. Trump emphasized that the Iranian fleet has been destroyed, and the country's air force is "now non-existent."
"We have unprecedented firepower, unlimited ammunition reserves, and plenty of time — you will see what happens today with these lunatics," he wrote.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hagset stated at a briefing at the Pentagon on March 13 that American military forces are now bombing Iran more heavily than on any other day of the war.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump announced in an interview with Fox News that "very powerful strikes" against Iran will be carried out next week. According to him, the U.S. has already inflicted significant damage on Iran, and the country will need "years" to recover.
Trump also stated that, if necessary, the U.S. military would ensure surveillance of oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, he expressed hope that such measures would not be necessary.
In his first public address on March 12, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mujtaba Khamenei, called for revenge for those killed in the war waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran since February 28. He promised that Iran "will not surrender to external aggression" and called for unity within the country.
Mujtaba Khamenei described the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced by Tehran as an "important pressure tool." Before the war began, approximately 20% of the world's oil trade was conducted through this strait. He indicated that this blockade policy would continue.
Furthermore, Iran's new leader called on the Persian Gulf countries to close U.S. military bases located on their territories.
