United States President Donald Trump remains a vocal critic of Iran, repeating his belief that the U.S. military is “knocking the hell out of them” throughout the week.
Trump repeatedly touched on the ongoing war with Iran during various speaking appearances on Wednesday, ranging from a meeting with reporters to a speech in Kentucky. He has used the phrase “knocking the hell out of them” in recent days when discussing the joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes.
Those comments came after Trump took multiple jabs at Iran earlier on Wednesday. Speaking with reporters before leaving Washington, D.C., Trump claimed that the U.S. military could “take them out” in a single day. Several hours later, during his speech in Kentucky, Trump discussed “Operation Epic Fury” and told the crowd, “We’ve won.”
Iran had not responded to Trump as of Thursday morning.
‘It’s going to be over pretty quickly.’
US President Donald Trump says the US Military are ‘knocking the hell’ out of Iran’s drone manufacturing facilities. pic.twitter.com/7rujVYVLY7
— GB News (@GBNEWS) March 9, 2026
Saturday will mark two weeks since the attacks began. Iran has said that the death toll has surpassed 1,300 people, with thousands more injured. The U.S. has confirmed the deaths of seven military members, and at least another 140 have been injured.
There is no indication that a ceasefire is imminent. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Iran’s military infrastructure has suffered significant damage over the last two weeks, including the loss of its anti-aircraft systems and radar.
“We’re not leaving until that job is finished,” Trump said during his speech in Kentucky. “And it’s going to be very fast. Going to be very fast.”
President Trump on the Iran war: “We don’t want to leave early, do we—huh?! We gotta finish the job, right?”
President Trump keeps suggesting that he will end the war, only to announce that America will stay in longer. A day ago, he stated that the war is both “very complete”… pic.twitter.com/ds4PJ9JerR
— AF Post (@AFpost) March 11, 2026
Wednesday also marked the first time the United States publicly addressed the possibility of an Iranian-related terror attack. A leaked memo from the FBI to California law enforcement instructed officials to prepare for potential Iranian drone strikes. Los Angeles is set to host numerous upcoming events, including the start of the MLB season, the NBA and NHL playoffs, and the FIFA World Cup, which begins in June.
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the situation on Wednesday, he noted that he had not spoken with Trump. The two have been in a prolonged public feud, frequently exchanging insults on social media and in speeches. Newsom said that he wants Trump to speak to the American people directly about the terror threat.
As of Thursday morning, there had been no further reports about a potential Iranian attack.
Separately, the United States is addressing domestic terror threats. Two pro-Muslim teenagers were arrested last weekend after throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) outside Gracie Mansion in New York City. The two later told the NYPD that they had watched ISIS videos, with at least one of the two pledging allegiance to the terrorist group. This incident is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism, separate from the situation involving Iran.
