Trump warns US will hit Iran 'very hard over the next week', says Putin helping Tehran 'a little bit'

US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1, 2026, on his way back to Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

President Trump announced intensified US military strikes against Iran, hinted at possible Russian support for Tehran, and issued a partial waiver on Russian oil. US Defense Secretary said Iran would face its heaviest bombardment yet, as tensions escalate in the conflict.

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US President Donald Trump said American forces would intensify military strikes against Iran in the coming days as the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran moves into its third week.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News Radio aired on Friday, Trump signalled that Washington is preparing for a new phase of operations against Iranian targets.

"We're going to be hitting them very hard over the next week," Trump said.

The president also suggested that Russia could be quietly assisting Iran during the conflict. In the same interview, Trump said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin might be offering support to Tehran.

"I think he might be helping him a little bit, yeah, I guess. And he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine, right?" Trump said in the interview.

His remarks come amid reports in several US media outlets that Russia may have provided targeting intelligence to Iran that could help Tehran strike American forces during the ongoing war.

The comments also came shortly after Trump issued a partial 30 day waiver allowing limited purchases of sanctioned Russian oil. The move is aimed at easing global fuel prices that have surged during the US Israeli military campaign against Iran.

Earlier on Friday, Trump issued a sharp warning to Iran in a post on social media, taking credit for the killing of Iran’s leadership in recent strikes.

He said it was a "great honour" to be responsible for killing Iran’s leadership and described them as "deranged scumbags".

Earlier today, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a news conference the US military would bombard Iran more heavily on Friday than any other day so far in the war.

He also said Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was "wounded and likely disfigured" in the February 28 attack that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli campaign.

While Mojtaba Khamanei has not been seen in public since being named supreme leader, other Islamic republic officials defiantly walked with pro-government demonstrators who waved flags and brandished banners reading "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".