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US President Donald Trump has spoken about the possibility of fresh military strikes on the remaining parts of Iran’s nuclear programme, claiming that the United States could hit the country’s remaining nuclear facilities within just 10 minutes.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters on Saturday night, October 31, local time, The Jerusalem Post reported.
He said there were “one or two” remaining Iranian facilities that needed to be dealt with, including Pickaxe Mountain.
“We can do it in 10 minutes. We have a plan for it, and we can execute it very quickly,” Trump said.
On the prospect of negotiations with Iran, Trump said Tehran wanted to reach an agreement and that it remained to be seen what would happen.
“Everything is going very well, but you can’t really trust them. They make a deal and then back out of it. They want to make a deal. Now we’ll see if they actually sign it,” he said.
Hours before the remarks, Trump held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A Wall Street Journal report said the United States was preparing for a possible new round of strikes against Iran.
Trump had earlier discussed various options for resuming military operations with senior military officials. Those attending the meeting included Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
War with Iran unlikely before midterm elections: Several reports said the Pentagon had increased air defence systems, ammunition and military equipment in the Middle East over the past few weeks. At the same time, some troops and military assets had been withdrawn from bases vulnerable to potential Iranian retaliation.
The situation also carries significant political implications. The US congressional midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, with Trump in the final stretch of his party’s election campaign.
The prospect of war with Iran and rising energy prices in the United States have emerged as major concerns for the Republican Party. Trump is seeking to boost public support for his party in the final days before the elections.
Against this backdrop, several reports have suggested that Washington is delaying the start of a possible war with Iran. Tehran, meanwhile, is also extending the negotiating process ahead of the US midterm elections.
Defence officials believe that although CENTCOM and Israel are preparing for possible strikes against Iran, the White House is unlikely to authorise military action before the elections.
However, the situation could change if intelligence emerges indicating that Iran is preparing a surprise attack.
Israel’s defence establishment has also remained tight-lipped about preparations for a possible escalation with Iran. According to assessments by Israeli defence officials, the White House wants to give Tehran another opportunity to return to negotiations.
Defence officials believe that Iran, which has been grappling with an economic crisis for weeks, is unlikely to sign an agreement requiring it to abandon its entire nuclear programme. Tehran is particularly unlikely to agree to halt its ballistic missile production, which has increasingly become a concern for Europe as well.
