FLORIDA, November 1 (ANI) — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (local time), during a Halloween event at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, that American forces could strike the remaining Iranian nuclear facilities within minutes, as Washington continues to weigh its military options against Tehran.
Trump asserted that U.S. operations had already crippled the core of Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure, leaving only one or two targets, including key underground facilities such as “Pickaxe Mountain.”
“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.
According to the president, the United States is not in an urgent rush to resume strikes because previous air operations have significantly weakened Iran’s navy, air force, air defense networks and defense manufacturing infrastructure.
“We’re not in that much of a hurry from the standpoint that we’ve knocked out their navy, we’ve knocked out their air force, we’ve knocked out their anti-aircraft, we’ve knocked out almost every piece of military equipment they have, we’ve knocked out a lot of their manufacturing capability. Uh, we’ve knocked out the nuclear. We’ve knocked out their nuclear,” Trump said.
He specifically referred to one or two high-priority nuclear infrastructure targets, including hardened underground installations such as Pickaxe Mountain, saying U.S. forces could destroy them within 10 minutes if authorized.
Despite his forceful rhetoric, Trump indicated that Tehran had signaled its willingness to negotiate a deal. However, he expressed skepticism about Iran’s reliability, reiterating that the country would never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon while keeping military action on the table.
“They wanna make a deal, and we will see if they make a deal,” he said, adding, “But they are not very reliable. They make a deal, and then they back out.”
When asked whether he would order renewed military strikes against Iran, Trump described the question as “stupid” and replied, “Let’s say I did, would I tell you? I can’t tell you.”
His remarks come amid continued diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran, even as the U.S. administration weighs its military options.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said diplomatic conversations involving Iran had continued without interruption but declined to provide a timeframe or assess the progress of negotiations.
Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Georgia, Rubio said Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution that addressed its security concerns.
“There are multiple talks; talks have actually never stopped. There’s been active conversations going both in some cases directly, but often through intermediaries,” Rubio said.
He added that the United States would consider a diplomatic agreement if it addressed its fundamental security concerns, particularly Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for regional armed groups.
“I’m not gonna characterise either the progress on those talks or any timeframe on it other than to tell you that if there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it,” he said.
Rubio also reiterated that Trump had not made a decision on further military action, while asserting that Washington had the capability to achieve its military objectives if necessary.
“We can achieve military objectives if we seek to. He hasn’t made a decision,” Rubio said.
Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as Washington evaluated the possibility of renewed military action against Iran.
The conversation followed a White House meeting earlier in the week at which Trump consulted senior military officials about strategic options for resuming major combat operations, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
On the diplomatic front, Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said Washington had adopted a “completely shifted tone” in a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, delivered through Qatari mediators.
“Their tone has shifted completely, which is a good sign that shows that our people have secured their victory,” Rezaei told state broadcaster IRIB.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also described Washington’s attempt to open dialogue as a “positive step,” according to Al Jazeera. He said Tehran had studied the letter and disclosed that an aide had traveled to Doha for consultations with mediators.
According to The New York Times, the proposal envisions direct talks led by Vance, with Iran’s nuclear program forming part of the discussions from the outset. The Wall Street Journal reported that the communication outlined a framework for negotiations rather than specific peace terms.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that Iran’s military would respond to any missteps by the United States or Israel with a response that would be “geographically unrestricted.” (ANI)
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