US President Donald Trump has said American forces could strike one or two targets in Iran within 10 minutes, even as Washington continues talks aimed at ending the conflict. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday, Trump named a suspected underground nuclear facility and said he was in no hurry to order attacks.
Trump identified Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily protected underground site suspected of having links to Iran’s nuclear programme, as a possible target. Tehran has denied that nuclear activities are carried out there.
He said Washington already had a military plan for dealing with the remaining sites but gave no indication that he had authorised another attack.
US-Iran talks continue through mediators
The remarks came as American and Iranian officials pursued diplomatic contacts through Qatar. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration was keeping negotiations open while considering its military options.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia, Rubio said, “There are multiple talks; talks have actually never stopped.”
He said discussions had taken place both directly and through intermediaries, without giving a deadline for an agreement. Any settlement, he added, would have to meet Washington’s security concerns, including those concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
Rubio also said Trump had not decided whether to resume military operations. The US had the capability to meet its objectives if the President chose that course, he said, but Washington preferred to resolve the dispute through negotiations.
Iran reviews JD Vance letter as Qatar holds discussions
Meanwhile, Iran confirmed that it was examining a message from US Vice President JD Vance, delivered through Qatari mediators. Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the language used by Washington had changed, although he had yet to reply to the letter.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was reviewing the communication but had no plans for direct meetings with American officials.
Iranian representatives met Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday following discussions in Tehran a day earlier. The exchanges included proposals for confidence-building measures and arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
A seven-day plan put forward through Qatar had not won Iran’s approval. A separate Iranian proposal sought the removal of restrictions on its ports, access to frozen assets and an agreement on shipping through the strait.
Trump claims major damage to Iran’s military
Trump claimed earlier American operations had destroyed large parts of Iran’s naval and air forces, air defence networks and military manufacturing facilities.
“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 ten minutes,” he said.
He argued that the extent of the damage meant the US did not need to rush into fresh action. Trump also said Iran wanted a deal, although he questioned whether its leaders would adhere to one, and repeated his opposition to Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Asked if he intended to order new strikes, Trump declined to say. “Let’s say I did, would I tell you? I can’t tell you,” he said.
Netanyahu call reported as Iran warns against attacks
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had spoken by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as US officials considered further military operations. The reported call followed discussions between Trump and senior military commanders earlier in the week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, meanwhile, ordered the country’s armed forces to prepare for any renewed attack. In a statement on Saturday, he warned that a response to US or Israeli military action would be immediate and could extend beyond Iran’s borders.
