Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying the United States is preparing to carry out intense military strikes in the coming days as the conflict in the Middle East enters its third week.

Speaking to Fox News Radio, Trump said US forces would escalate their military operations against Iran soon. “We’re going to be hitting them very hard over the next week,” he said, signaling a potential expansion of ongoing strikes linked to the military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.

Trump also suggested that Iran’s leadership could ultimately be challenged by its own citizens, though he acknowledged that such a development may not happen immediately. “I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” he said, referring to the possibility of internal opposition within Iran.

The remarks came shortly after the US administration issued a partial 30-day waiver allowing certain purchases of sanctioned Russian oil in an effort to ease rising global fuel prices triggered by the conflict.

Earlier in the day, Trump posted a sharply worded message on social media, describing it as a “great honour” to be responsible for eliminating elements of Iran’s leadership, whom he referred to as “deranged scumbags.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to continue attacks and maintain the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz in his first public statement since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening day of the conflict.

According to US and Israeli officials, more than 15,000 targets have been struck since the war began on February 28. Israeli forces alone reported hitting more than 200 targets across western and central Iran in the past 24 hours, including missile launchers and air defense systems.

Iranian authorities say over 1,300 people have been killed in the country so far, while Israel has reported 12 fatalities. The United States has confirmed at least 13 service members killed and eight others seriously injured.