United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked.
"We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," Donald Trump told reporters at his Florida residence. "You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added, referring to a suspected underground nuclear complex. The Iranian government denied any nuclear work is carried out there.
Negotiations "going fine" — but Iran is "not very reliable"
Donald Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran to end the war, which was started by the United States and Israel in February, were "going fine but you know they're not very reliable." On Sunday, speaking to Fox News at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Donald Trump repeated that he still wants to reach an agreement with Iran, but added: "They're not very reliable. They make a deal and then they back out."
Earlier on Saturday, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Donald Trump has not made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the United States would be open to a diplomatic solution. Rubio warned that "we can achieve military objectives if we seek to."
Tehran warns of an immediate, unrestricted response
Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States and Israel on Saturday against launching a new offensive, following threats they could resume strikes after crucial elections in both countries. "Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Khamenei told top military commanders, according to a statement. He also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy."
Donald Trump had previously warned an attack could come after the US midterms this week, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government. Voting in Israel has left Netanyahu's political camp with the most seats in parliament but short of a majority, leaving the make-up of the next administration unclear.
The Strait of Hormuz stays blocked
Fresh diplomatic efforts are underway to avert any resumption of fighting. Qatari mediators landed in Tehran on Friday, and United States Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei, who said the tone of the Americans "has completely changed," calling that "a good sign."
But Rezaei insisted Iran would continue to blockade the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions, including releasing frozen assets, were met. Tehran has restricted shipping through the strait, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption, and the blockade has caused a spike in global energy prices, making the war unpopular among the US public ahead of the upcoming polls.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday three oil tankers had been halted after encountering unspecified "incidents" or hitting mines, and Iranian state television reported Saturday that a ship traversing the strait struck a mine and caught fire. Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that any resumption of hostilities would only expand the scope of the war: "The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area."
Sources: AFP via ETV Bharat, November 1, 2026; Haaretz, November 1, 2026; The Wall Street Journal, cited October 31, 2026.