by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump has issued one of his strongest warnings yet to Iran, threatening devastating new military strikes as Washington and Jerusalem weigh their next moves against Tehran’s nuclear program ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Trump said he was delaying further military action in hopes of avoiding additional casualties.
“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,” Trump declared. “But at some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer.”
The warning followed a Saturday telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders discussed Iran and the possibility of renewed military operations.
“A good call with Netanyahu. We talked about Iran,” Trump told reporters Sunday.
U.S. Preparing for Possible Strikes After Midterm Elections
The president’s remarks come amid growing reports that Washington is preparing for another round of strikes against Iranian nuclear and military installations following the November 3 elections.
According to reports cited by The Times of Israel, Gulf Arab governments have been warned to prepare for possible American military action as early as November 4, raising concerns about Iranian retaliation against U.S. installations and Israeli targets throughout the region.
Trump acknowledged Saturday that additional Iranian nuclear facilities remain on Washington’s target list, including a suspected underground installation known as Pickaxe Mountain.
“We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes,” Trump said.
The president maintained that previous American military operations had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities, but indicated that Washington was prepared to eliminate remaining threats.
Diplomacy Continues as Iran Rejects Key Demands
Despite the escalating rhetoric, Trump said U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was continuing efforts to negotiate an agreement with Tehran.
The president expressed confidence in Witkoff’s diplomatic efforts but warned that failure to reach an agreement would leave Washington pursuing a more forceful solution.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have rejected proposals involving the transfer of uranium enriched to 60% to another country, a potentially significant obstacle to negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran would not consider such an arrangement and demanded that Washington lift its maritime blockade before an agreement could be reached.
Indirect negotiations involving Iranian officials and Qatari mediators continued over the weekend, even as Tehran’s military leadership reportedly increased preparations for another confrontation.
Iran has warned that renewed American or Israeli strikes would trigger retaliation against targets across the Middle East.
The confrontation also comes as Israel faces political uncertainty following its October 27 elections, which failed to produce a clear governing majority.
For Washington and Jerusalem, the immediate question is whether diplomacy can secure an agreement that addresses Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities—or whether the region is approaching another major military confrontation.
With the American midterm elections just one day away, Trump’s latest warning has placed Tehran on notice that the window for diplomacy may be narrowing.
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