‘Everything’s been knocked out’: Trump says US doing ‘very well’ in Iran, shares ‘succession plan’ for Tehran

Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States was doing “extremely well” in Iran as he praised the recent military operation targeting Iranian naval and air assets, claiming that “just about everything has been knocked out.”

The US President’s remarks came three days after Washington, alongside Israel, launched strikes against Iran, reportedly killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump said he ordered the attack because he “had a feeling” Iran would strike the US as negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme stalled, though he did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.

He also criticised Iran’s retaliatory attacks against Israel and Gulf nations, accusing Tehran of targeting civilian areas and countries “that had nothing to do with the conflict.”

“Everything has been knocked out in Iran,” Trump said after a meeting with the German Chancellor at the White House.

Trump reflects on Iran’s succession plan

The US President also weighed in on the leadership situation in Tehran, saying he would “like to see somebody in there that’s better.”

“The worst case is that we hit Iran and somebody takes over who’s just as bad as the previous person,” Trump said, adding that “someone from within might be more appropriate for Iran.”