United States President Donald Trump has said the US military has largely destroyed Iran’s military capabilities but still has one or two targets to deal with, as tensions between Washington and Tehran threaten to trigger fresh fighting.
Trump made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to reporters at his Florida residence, insisting that the United States was not in a hurry to launch another offensive because it had already inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military and nuclear programme.
“We’ve knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes,” Trump said.
He specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility, as one of the remaining targets.
“You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly,” he added.
Iran, however, has denied that any nuclear activities take place at the site.
Trump also said negotiations aimed at ending the war, which began in February following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, were progressing, although he questioned Tehran’s reliability.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump had not made a decision on whether to launch further attacks against Iran.
Rubio added that Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution but maintained that the US could achieve its military objectives if necessary.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned the United States and Israel against resuming military action.
In a statement delivered to senior military commanders, Khamenei said any threat against Iran must receive an immediate and significant response.
“Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response,” he said.
He also directed military commanders to update Iran’s list of potential targets to include assets belonging to what he described as the “American-Zionist enemy”.
The meeting was reportedly his first with senior military commanders since taking over leadership following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes.
Strait of Hormuz Blockade Raises Global Concerns
The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international waterway that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.
Iran has restricted shipping through the strait and warned that it could target undersea cables in the area.
Iranian state television reported on Saturday that a vessel struck a mine and caught fire while passing through the waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said on Friday that three oil tankers had been stopped after encountering unspecified incidents or striking mines.
The disruption has contributed to rising global energy prices, increasing economic pressure as the United States prepares for its midterm elections.
Efforts to prevent a resumption of hostilities are ongoing, with Qatar and Pakistan helping to mediate between the two countries.
Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Friday, while US Vice-President JD Vance reportedly sent a letter to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei.
Rezaei confirmed receiving the letter but said he had yet to respond, describing what he called a change in Washington’s tone as a positive sign.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, said there were no immediate plans for direct talks with US officials.
He said Iran’s conditions remained clear and that discussions were continuing through mediators.
Rezaei also maintained that Iran would continue restricting access through the Strait of Hormuz until its demands, including the release of frozen assets, were met.
Meanwhile, Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that renewed fighting would expand the conflict beyond its current geographical boundaries.
“The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area,” he said.
Araghchi also warned that Iran would no longer observe any “red lines” if the conflict resumed.
