US President Donald Trump has stated that there are still one or two targets in Iran that remain to be struck, adding that the United States could launch an attack on these targets in as little as 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a fresh warning of retaliation against the United States and Israel. Speaking to reporters at his residence in Florida on Saturday, Trump said, “We have destroyed their nuclear facilities. However, in my view, one or two facilities still remain. If we choose to, we can take action against them within 10 minutes.” This report was carried by NDTV Online. Trump further remarked, “You might consider ‘Peak-Axe Mountain’—action needs to be taken against that as well. We can do this very quickly.” ‘Peak-Axe Mountain’ is a facility associated with Iran’s nuclear program. When asked whether the US might launch an attack on Iran this week, Trump retorted, “Why do you ask such foolish questions? Suppose I were to launch an attack—would I inform you?” Nevertheless, Trump claimed that negotiations with Iran are progressing well, though he added, “But, as you know, they are not particularly reliable.”
Following these remarks by Trump, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a new warning of attacks against the United States and Israel. He assumed the role of Iran’s Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli strike last March; he has not been seen in public since then. In a meeting with top Iranian military commanders, he declared that any threat would be met with an immediate response. A statement released regarding the meeting quoted him as saying that any threat—regardless of its scale or nature—must be met with an immediate and effective response, without regard for geographical boundaries. He also instructed the military commanders to update the list of targets for Iran. Instructions have been issued to include ‘all visible and invisible assets of the American-Zionist enemy’ in the list.
This follows reports of a meeting—the first of its kind to be made public—between Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and the country’s top military officials. Meanwhile, the United States midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3rd. In recent days, Donald Trump has hinted that he might launch a new military operation against Iran following the elections. Referring to a previous U.S. operation against Iran by its codename, he remarked, “We might carry out another ‘Epic Fury’-style operation.” On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has informed several Arab nations in the Persian Gulf to prepare for a potential ‘short-term but intense military operation’ against Iran following the U.S. midterm elections. Citing individuals familiar with the discussions, the newspaper noted that Trump has not yet reached a final decision on the matter.
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a warning, stating that the United States is capable of achieving its military objectives if it chooses to do so. However, Trump has not yet made a definitive decision regarding a new strike on Iran. At the same time, Rubio accused Iran of ‘actively and openly’ targeting commercial vessels for attacks.
