Trump ‘Couldn’t Care Less’ About Iran’s Bold Revenge Threats
The president continues to insist he’s winning “at levels never seen before.”
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
President Donald Trump has shrugged off a dire warning from Iran’s top national-security official.
During a Saturday night phone interview with CBS News, the 79-year-old president showed little concern over threats from Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani. The Iranian official warned on social media Saturday that the United States would “pay” after Trump launched his surprise attack on the country in coordination with Israel on Feb. 28.
“We will relentlessly avenge the blood of our of our Leader and our people,” Larijani wrote on X Saturday. “Trump must and will pay.”
Trump, for his part, appeared unfazed.

Trump "couldn't care less" about the threat from one of Iran's most prominent leaders.
Screenshot/X/X
“I have no idea what he’s talking about, who he is. I couldn’t care less,” Trump told CBS, adding that Larijani has “already been defeated.”
In a separate post, Larijani, 67, doubled down on his vow to avenge Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the strikes.
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“We won’t let [Trump] off the hook; he must pay the price—he’s martyred our leader and our people,” Larijani wrote. “This isn’t a simple matter; we won’t let it go until we retaliate in kind.”
Trump declaring "major combat operations" in Iran on Feb. 28.
Donald Trump via Truth Social/via REUTERS
Trump then pointed to a video released earlier Saturday by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in which he apologized to neighboring countries for Iran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. and Israeli bases across the Middle East.
Making further comments about Larijani, Trump said the official “intended to take over the Middle East and he’s conceded and surrendered to all of those countries because of me.”
“He’s already surrendered to all of the Middle Eastern countries because he was trying to take over the entire Middle East,” Trump told CBS. “That’s why all of those rockets were long ago aimed at those countries. He had that planned, long before this started.”
The Iranian president later posted another video that contained no apology.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticized Trump's rhetoric.
Iran's Presidential website/WANA/via REUTERS
“We have not attacked our friendly and neighboring countries,” Pezeshkian said. “Rather, we have targeted U.S. military bases, facilities, and installations in the region.”
Trump also praised the “incredible” job the U.S. military has done in toppling Iran’s forces and said the country was expanding its attacks.
“It’s been incredible, the job we’ve done. The missiles are blow to smithereens,” Trump said. “They’re down to very few. The drones are blown. The factories are being blown up as we speak. The navy is gone, it’s at the bottom of the sea. Forty-two ships, 42, in six days, 42 ships. The navy is gone. The air force is gone. Every single element of their military is gone. Their leadership is gone. There’s not a thing that’s not gone.”
He added: “We’re winning at levels never seen before and quickly.”
Trump posted that the war in Iran was already "won" within hours of attending the dignified transfer of six troops killed by Iranian strikes, where he was required to remain silent.
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
The president kicked off his weekend by thirsting over Iran’s destruction in a fresh Truth Social screed hours before he spoke with CBS.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” he warned. “Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”

Trump claimed he was receiving endless praise from Middle Eastern countries for bombing Iran.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
He then attended the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members killed in his war with Iran while wearing a $55 cap available for purchase on the president’s merchandise website.
The six service members, all part of the 103rd Sustainment Command, were killed by an Iranian strike in Kuwait on Sunday, March 1. They were Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20; Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54.
While the dignified transfer is not a funeral, it is also a common custom in the United States to remove a hat as a sign of respect.
Nathan Howard/REUTERS
Following their deaths on March 1, Trump said, “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.”
Last week, he doubled down in a statement to Time Magazine: “…You know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”

Trump also denied that a horrific strike of a children's school where at least 175 people were killed was sent by the U.S., which DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth didn't firmly support.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
A few days earlier, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, lashed out, calling U.S. and Israeli leaders “filthy criminals” and vowing they would suffer “devastating blows” for crossing Iran’s “red line.”
In a televised address, he warned: “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
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