President Donald Trump warned Sunday that the United States is prepared to unleash another devastating military strike against Iran if the ongoing conflict is not brought to a swift conclusion, declaring that his desire to prevent additional casualties is the principal reason Washington has not already taken more aggressive action.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, Trump suggested that American forces have the capability to deliver a decisive blow but that he is deliberately exercising restraint.

“The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because 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.”

Trump predicted that the fighting would end in the near future, although he stopped short of identifying a deadline or outlining the precise conditions that would bring hostilities to a close.

“It’s going to be over very soon. Very soon,” he said.

The president also addressed mounting concerns about energy costs, arguing that higher oil prices represent a relatively modest economic burden compared with the importance of protecting American interests and international security.

He said he had initially expected the conflict to produce a much sharper rise in energy prices and expressed confidence that oil prices would fall dramatically once the war ended.

“When that war is over, it’s going to come plunging,” Trump said. “It’s a very small price to pay for the security of this country and for the world.”

Trump again maintained that the American military offensive had succeeded in preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, portraying the operation as a major achievement for U.S. national security.

Earlier Sunday, in an interview with RSBN before appearing at the Iowa rally, Trump indicated that the administration was prepared to resolve the confrontation through negotiations or further military operations.

“We’ve had such a victory and we’ll put it away very soon, one way or the other. Either they’ll make a deal or we’ll just end it, end it the, I guess you could say, maybe the easy way,” he said.

The comments followed remarks Saturday night in which Trump offered a cautiously positive assessment of negotiations with Iran, describing the discussions as “going fine” while emphasizing that he was not “in much of a hurry” to finalize an agreement.

Nevertheless, Trump expressed skepticism about whether Iranian officials would honor any commitments they made, saying they “are not very reliable. … They make a deal, and then they back out.”

The president also raised the possibility of striking additional Iranian nuclear infrastructure, specifically mentioning Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility.

“We can do that in 10 minutes. We have that planned. You can look at Pickaxe Mountain. We need to take care of that. We can do that very quickly,” he warned.

Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts between the United States and Iran have continued through Qatari intermediaries, with negotiators exploring possible arrangements involving Tehran’s nuclear activities, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and potential economic concessions.

Reports Saturday suggested that the sides had reached preliminary understandings on several issues, although no final agreement had been announced. An American delegation was reportedly preparing to travel to Doha for additional discussions with Iranian representatives.

Additional reporting indicates that Trump discussed the Iran situation with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a telephone conversation Saturday, with the two leaders reportedly differing over how quickly Washington should resume military operations.

According to a report citing American and Israeli officials, Netanyahu urged Trump to authorize additional strikes immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections, while Trump preferred to allow the ongoing diplomatic negotiations more time. One Israeli official characterized the conversation as “tough,” while an American official described it as “direct.”

Iranian representatives and Qatari mediators held a third consecutive day of negotiations in Doha on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said discussions were continuing over a proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days of an agreement, but acknowledged that no final deal had been reached.

Tehran has simultaneously warned against renewed American attacks, with Iranian military officials threatening a broader confrontation if the United States resumes strikes. Iran’s leadership has also ordered its armed forces to prepare for the possibility of additional military action.

{Matzav.com}