Trump warns ‘big wave’ yet to come as US war secretary says Iran operations won't become 'endless'

President Donald Trump told CNN in a nine-minute phone interview Monday morning that the US military is "knocking the crap" out of Iran – but the "big wave" is yet to come.

Trump addressed a wide range of topics in the interview, including the expected length of the conflict,… pic.twitter.com/MhxNYPx76u

Meanwhile, Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon: "We're hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically."  The US-Israeli air war against Iran expanded on Monday with no end in sight.

Hegseth reiterated that there are currently no American “boots on the ground” in Iran but declined to rule out the possibility of future ground deployments, Al Jazeera reported. He added Washington would take all necessary measures to protect its interests, while acting cautiously and avoiding “foolish” decisions.

Separately, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman US General Dan Caine said it will take time to achieve US military objectives in Iran and additional US casualties are expected as the United States and Israel's strikes on Iran continued for a third day.

"This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives that United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work," Caine told reporters. He added that the United States continued to send additional troops to the Middle East, even after a massive military buildup.

Caine's comments come a day after Trump suggested that strikes against Iran could go on for the next four weeks.

Meanwhile, three US F-15E Strike Eagle jets supporting Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait in an apparent friendly fire incident, CENTCOM confirmed in an official statement. Iran's Tasnim news agency had reported that five soldiers were killed in US attacks in central Iran, according to Al Jazeera.

At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.

Read more:https://t.co/i2y3Q3vo2E

CENTCOM said the aircraft were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences during active combat that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones. It added that all six crew members ejected safely and are in stable condition, and that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

The command said search-and-rescue operations were immediately initiated, and the jets were flying as part of ongoing US military operations in the region.

Moreover, four US service members have been killed in action as part of Operation Epic Fury, US CENTCOM said in an official statement.

CENTCOM Update

TAMPA, Fla. – As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries.

Major combat operations continue and our…

It said several additional personnel sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty. CENTCOM noted that major combat operations are ongoing and the US response effort continues.

Trump paid tribute to the killed as "true American patriots" but warned that there will likely be more casualties. "That's the way it is," he said.

 

Iran's IRGC claims attacks on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. pic.twitter.com/qA6JFRkFlB

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Monday that it had carried out a strike in Beirut killing Hussein Makled, who served as the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.

Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a headquarters linked to the Israeli Air Force, according to reports by Xinhua and AFP as Iran pressed on with a third day of strikes in the Gulf.

Earlier, several American warplanes crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning, Kuwait's defence ministry said. "Several US warplanes crashed this morning. Confirming that all crew members survived," a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement, adding that the cause was under investigation.

A US F-15 fighter jet crashes in Kuwait; possibly shot down.

Follow https://t.co/B3zXG73Jym pic.twitter.com/p2ItA2NvWR

"Authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transporting them to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. He noted that their condition is stable," the statement added.

Kuwait said its air defences intercepted hostile drones, in a third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states.

BREAKING: Kuwait's defence ministry says "several" US military aircraft crashed this morning inside the country.

It says the crews of the jets survived and are in "stable" conditions after being evacuated and transferred to hospitals.https://t.co/2ngVXXQEvq pic.twitter.com/MphCn14JPx

Moreover, the Iranian Army said it targeted the US Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait and hostile naval vessels in the northern Indian Ocean, Al Jazeera reported.

Gulf states condemn Iran attacks

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, in a joint statement with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, strongly condemned Iran’s missile and drone attacks across the region.

“These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure,” the statement said, referring to attacks in Bahrain, Iraq—including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region—Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The statement described Iran’s actions as a “dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability,” adding that the “targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilising behavior.”

Joint Statement on Iran's Missile and Drone Attacks in the Region

Doha | March 02, 2026

The State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the State of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America… pic.twitter.com/FgBZWtRjrb

The countries affirmed their commitment to protecting their citizens and territories, saying they “stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defence in the face of these attacks.”

The statement also praised regional air and missile defence cooperation, which it said “has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction.”

Iran’s Natanz nuclear site hit in US-Israeli strikes

Iran’s sprawling nuclear facility at Natanz was struck during US and Israeli military operations against the Islamic Republic, Iran's ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday.

“Again they attacked Iran's peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday,” Reza Najafi told reporters at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors. Asked by Reuters which facilities were hit, he replied: “Natanz.”

Hezbollah‑Israel exchange escalates conflict

Israel said it was attacking sites connected to Hezbollah in Lebanon, one of Tehran's principal allies in the Middle East, after Hezbollah acknowledged launching missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

BREAKING: Israel has launched strikes on Dahiyeh, the predominantly Shia suburb in south Beirut. Israeli strikes have also reportedly hit southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah issued a statement late Sunday night announcing an attack on an Israeli missile defense site near Haifa in… pic.twitter.com/mSOpBGTsRr

Israel carried out air strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, with more than a dozen explosions rocking the Lebanese capital. Israel said it also struck senior Hezbollah militants near Beirut.

The Hezbollah and Israel tit-for-tat attacks, which follow a US-brokered ceasefire in 2024, widen the conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, sending oil prices soaring and snarling air travel.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah was "fully responsible for any escalation" and warned residents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.

Shortly after 7:00am (0500 GMT) air raid sirens were triggered across Israel, including in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, warning of a fresh Iranian attack.

A new wave of missiles is being launched from central parts of Iran towards "enemy locations", Iran's state media said on Monday morning.

People fled on foot and by car in Beirut, clogging the roads, after the series of strikes began around 2:40am (0040 GMT).

The Israeli military said late on Sunday that its air force had established aerial superiority over Tehran, and that a wave of strikes across the capital had targeted intelligence, security, and military command centres.

Sounds of explosions were heard in different parts of the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Monday morning, according to state media, while Reuters witnesses heard loud blasts in Dubai and the Qatari capital Doha.

Iran forms temporary leadership council

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader.

In an X post on Monday, Ali Larjani, who was adviser to Iran's Khamenei, said his country would not negotiate with Trump. He said the US president had "delusional ambitions" and was now worried about US casualties.

Iranian official Ali Larijani refuses negotiations with the US amid escalating tensions after reported strikes, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Larijani accuses Washington of turning “America First” into “Israel First” and frames Iran’s actions as defensive,…

IRGC claims strikes on US, UK tankers and Gulf bases

The IRGC said on Sunday they had hit three US and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and attacked military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles.

Shipping data showed hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers, dropping anchor in nearby waters with traders expecting sharp jumps in crude oil prices on Monday.

#VIDEO: An Iranian drone strike hit an ammunition warehouse at a U.S. base in Erbil, Iraq, triggering secondary explosions and a massive fire at the scene pic.twitter.com/mUBnNBDhde

Global air travel was also heavily disrupted as continued air strikes kept major Middle Eastern airports closed, including Dubai — the world's busiest international hub — in one of the biggest aviation interruptions in recent years. Asian airline shares plunged on Monday, with some major carriers down more than 5%.

Saudi Arabia denies lobbying Trump for Iran strikes

Saudi Arabia has denied allegations that it lobbied Trump to carry out military strikes against Iran, dismissing recent media reports as false, the Saudi Gazette reported on Monday.

Fahad Nazer, spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, said the kingdom has consistently backed diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a credible agreement with Tehran.

560 American troops killed or wounded: IRGC

The IRGC announced that three oil tankers belonging to the United States and the United Kingdom were struck by missiles in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's international news network Press TV.

The IRGC claimed the vessels had violated maritime boundaries and said the tankers were ablaze following the reported strikes.

560 American troops killed or wounded in Iranian Attacks: IRGC

Three violating US and UK oil tankers were hit by missiles and are burning in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, while 560 US soldiers have been killed or wounded so far in Operation True Promise 4,IRGC announced pic.twitter.com/R71svWcTGi

It further reported that the IRGC stated approximately 560 American troops had been killed or wounded so far as part of what it described as “Operation True Promise 4.” The Iranian military force presented the figures as part of its ongoing military response, though independent verification of the claims has not been confirmed.

US military campaign risks political fallout ahead of midterms

An extended military campaign could pose a major political risk for Trump's Republican Party ahead of US midterm elections that could decide the fate of Congress. Only around one in four Americans approve of the operation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday.

But in a video posted on Sunday, Trump vowed military strikes on Iran will continue until "all our objectives are achieved" without providing specifics. He said the assault had so far wiped out Iran's military command and destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and a naval building.

American aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since the start of major combat operations on Saturday, the US military said.

Trump called on Iran's military and police, including the powerful IRGC, to stop fighting, promising immunity for those who surrender and threatening "certain death" for those who resist. He reiterated calls for the Iranian people to revolt against the government.

"I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country," Trump said in the pre-recorded video. "America is with you."

In interviews with multiple news outlets, Trump said the military campaign against Iran could continue for at least four weeks.

Hundreds of Iranians cross border into Turkey

Hundreds of Iranians crossed the border into Turkey on Monday afternoon as the US-Israeli war against Iran expanded, a Reuters witness said, with those arriving speaking of fear in Tehran and queues at petrol stations.

In the morning, Turkey had said day-trip passenger crossings at the three Turkish-Iranian border gates had been mutually suspended, with Turkey only allowing its own citizens and third-country nationals to enter. On Sunday, travellers told Reuters that some Iranian citizens were being stopped from crossing into Turkey.

However, by Monday afternoon Iranians started crossing into Turkey at the Kapikoy border gate, against the backdrop of snow-covered hills in Iran.
"The situation in Tehran is already difficult," said a man from the Iranian capital, who declined to give his name but said his wife and children were in Istanbul. "There are difficult things in Tehran, bombings. Everyone is scared. But for example, normal people, nothing happened to them."

Binali Kilic, an Iranian Azeri man from the Qazvin area near the Turkish border, said life there was continuing normally but there was constant bombing in military areas that affected people's lives.

"They've withdrawn into themselves. Everyone is in their homes," Kilic said. "There were sounds of bombing coming from nearby areas that were hit," he said as people wheeled suitcases out of the border gate under light snow toward waiting minibuses. "There are no food problems or anything like that. The only concern people have is getting fuel for their trips, near and far. There are queues at petrol stations," he added.

Earlier, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Iran was permitting its own citizens to enter Iran via Turkey, adding that commercial cargo transits at all three gates continued under controlled conditions. "All our units continue to perform their duties on high alert to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of Turkey's border crossing services and trade flows," Bolat said.