Trump Threatens Fresh Strikes on Iran, Targeting “One or Two Sites”; Tehran Vows Retaliation

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington had destroyed much of Iran’s military capabilities but still needed to “deal with” one or two remaining targets, as Tehran threatened a retaliatory attack if the United States launches fresh strikes. Trump said negotiations with Iran to end the war were “going very well,” but added that Tehran was “not exactly trustworthy.” He reiterated that Washington was in no hurry to take further offensive action, saying it had already inflicted extensive damage on Iran’s military capabilities and nuclear programme. “We’ve taken out their nuclear capabilities. We still have one or two sites that we have to deal with, but we can do that in 10 minutes,” Trump told reporters at his residence in Florida. He referred to Mount Axe in Iran’s Isfahan province, about 200 kilometres south of Tehran. Media reports have suggested that a short, intensive military campaign could be launched following Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. “An Opportunity” In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a “historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to bring down the Iranian government following the legislative elections. Earlier on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had not yet decided whether to launch fresh strikes against Iran amid stalled negotiations to end the war, adding that Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States and Israel against launching further attacks, following threats to resume strikes after the U.S. elections. In a statement posted on his Telegram channel on Saturday, Khamenei said: “If the enemies launch military or terrorist attacks again, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people will determine when and under what conditions they will end.” The statement added that, during a meeting with senior military commanders, the supreme leader had instructed them to respond immediately and effectively to every level and type of threat, without geographical restrictions. Khamenei also ordered military commanders to update Iran’s target list to include “all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy.” Iran has previously warned that it could consider cutting undersea communications cables running through the Strait of Hormuz. As negotiations continue under Qatari mediation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran saw no need under the current circumstances to meet with the U.S. side. In an interview with Al Jazeera, quoted by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Araghchi said: “Iran’s conditions are clear. Meanwhile, the mediators are continuing their consultations on these conditions.” “We Are Waiting for War” In the streets of Tehran, the prospect of a wider conflict is weighing heavily on residents. “We are unfortunately a people waiting for war, one way or another, simply because we have been living in a state of uncertainty and anticipation for a year,” said Farima, 62. But Ibrahim, 48, said he was not worried. “We are not afraid of another war. We have been at war for 48 years,” he said. (AFP) The post Trump Threatens Fresh Strikes on Iran, Targeting “One or Two Sites”; Tehran Vows Retaliation appeared first on Yemen Monitor.