U.S. President Donald Trump renewed threats of potential military action against Tehran during a Sunday campaign event, warning that the Iran conflict may eventually require Washington to deliver “the hammer” to Iran.
In response to Trump’s assertion that additional targets still required action, Iranian officials warned on Sunday that any renewed conflict with the United States would extend far longer than previous military engagements.
The 80-year-old US president said during a rally in Iowa ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, “And the only reason why I’m not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can…But at some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer.”
Meanwhile, Iranian state television quoted army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia stating that a potential future conflict could last longer than previous engagements, and that the American president would not be in a position to dictate its timing or conditions of conclusion.
Backstory…
The latest warning comes amid renewed threats of military action despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict. On October 31, President Donald Trump said American forces still had one or two Iranian targets left to strike, specifically mentioning the underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, maintained that Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution.
Meanwhile, Qatar has been mediating fresh discussions with Tehran over a proposed plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran has also warned that any renewed war could last longer than the previous fighting.
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