Donald Trump has left open the possibility of new attacks against Iran, while Tehran warns it will retaliate in the event of another American offensive.
Asked about the prospect of further raids, the US president replied: “If I were going to do it, would I tell you?”. He added: “We still have to deal with one or two sites, but we could do that in 10 minutes.”
Among the possible targets, Trump mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, described as a suspected underground nuclear facility. He nonetheless insisted Washington is in no rush to resume military operations.
On the diplomatic front, the president claims Tehran wants a deal, though he questions the reliability of its negotiators: “The talks are going well, but they’re not very reliable. They make a deal and then they back out.”
Qatar and Pakistan continue to mediate in an effort to pave the way for a resumption of direct talks and avert an escalation following the US midterm elections on 3 November.
From Iran comes a response from Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council: “If we don’t punish Trump and the United States, tomorrow other countries will think that attacking Iran carries no consequences.”
Rezaei warns that a new attack would trigger “devastating blows” and adds: “if war were to break out, Iran’s response would be decisive.”
