Trump Says US Ready to Strike Remaining Iranian Nuclear Sites
The president told reporters that one or two locations, including Pickaxe Mountain, remain and can be hit in ten minutes.
By Jabari Long ·
President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the United States is prepared to eliminate the remnants of Iran's nuclear program within ten minutes. Speaking to the press, he identified one or two remaining sites, specifically naming Pickaxe Mountain, and asserted that the US has a plan to execute the strike quickly.
The comments followed a phone conversation between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the call occurred as the US prepared to resume military operations in the region. Hours before speaking with Netanyahu, Trump met with senior military commanders, including CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, to discuss options for new strikes.
Military preparations have intensified in the weeks leading up to the congressional midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. The Pentagon has reinforced air defense systems, ammunition, and equipment in the Middle East while repositioning forces from bases vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. Last week, ten US Air Force transport aircraft arrived at Israeli Air Force bases in southern Israel. These planes, which originated at Fort Bliss in Texas, likely carried air defense systems. Other aircraft in the convoy landed in Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Despite the buildup, defense officials assess that the White House will not order an operation before the elections unless it detects preparations for a surprise attack. This timing is politically sensitive for Republicans, who face pressure from the war and rising fuel prices. Iran has reportedly prolonged negotiations to delay a strike until after the vote. Israeli defense sources indicate that Washington is giving Tehran another chance to return to the negotiating table, though Israel remains ambiguous about its own escalation plans.
Iranian leadership has responded with mixed signals. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered military commanders to prepare for an immediate and powerful response to any new attack, without geographical limits. Chief of Staff General Ali Abdollahi warned that Iran has expanded its list of potential targets and that the country will determine the end date of any new war. Analysts note that Iran faces a worsening economic crisis, which may affect its willingness to sign an agreement that requires abandoning its nuclear program and ballistic missile production.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that if the president intended to act militarily, he would have done so weeks or months ago. However, he clarified that the United States possesses all necessary capabilities for a successful operation. Diplomatic talks and military preparations are currently proceeding in parallel, with the outcome of the November 3 elections likely to influence the next steps in US-Iran relations.
