Iranians can't even go to bathroom without us seeing it: Trump

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington is monitoring everything happening in Iran, asserting that Tehran cannot escape American surveillance. "They can't even go to the bathroom without us seeing it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump said he does not believe the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict with Iran will last "too long," but warned that the US remains prepared to strike Iran "anytime" if needed . His remarks came as the US and Iran exchanged heavy strikes, with at least 18 people killed and around 108 wounded in Iranian territory, according to Iranian officials .

Tehran has accused the US military of striking Iran's southern coastal areas near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, including a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak . Following the American strikes, Trump said, "We hit them very hard" .

The US president further claimed that Washington now controls the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that Tehran has effectively blocked for nearly six months . "We're bringing lots of boats out every day with millions of barrels of oil. For the most part, doing it without trouble. Every once in a while, they shoot a drone and we knock it down. But we have control, very strong control," Trump said .

Trump also alleged that Iran had been attempting to rebuild its radar, missile and mine-laying systems near the strait, and that US strikes had destroyed those capabilities . "They were trying to rebuild their radar systems... We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it. Who does that? It was almost finished, so we took it out," he said .

Alongside military action, Washington has also announced plans to intensify economic pressure on Tehran, threatening sanctions on Iran's trading partners . Meanwhile, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.