What happened
President Donald Trump stated that the US is not in a hurry to sign a deal with Iran, citing the country's weakened military equipment. He claimed that the US has "knocked out" almost every piece of Iran's military equipment, including their navy, air force, and anti-aircraft equipment.
Trump's comments came as Iranian leaders heightened their rhetoric against the US, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vowing an "immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response" to any American or Israeli threat of new attacks. Major Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff of the armed forces of Iran, also stated that the armed forces will not wait for the start of hostile enemy action to respond.
Trump offered a glimpse into potential future action, mentioning that the US could take care of remaining targets "very quickly". He specifically mentioned "Pickaxe Mountain" as a potential target. The President has stood by his decision to strike Iran, despite public disapproval and concerns about the impact on inflation and the economy.
The situation comes as the US weighs launching a fresh wave of strikes against Iran following the midterm elections. The last confirmed strikes against Iran occurred in August, and Trump has said that the conflict would be over "very soon".
