Trump says US has one or two targets left in Iran as Tehran threatens retaliation - IOL

US President Donald Trump says American forces have one or two remaining targets in Iran, while Tehran threatens a wider response to any renewed military action.

US President Donald Trump says American forces have largely destroyed Iran's military and nuclear capabilities but still have one or two targets to deal with, as Tehran warns of an immediate and far-reaching response to any renewed attacks.

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."

The Republican president said the United States was not in a hurry to take offensive action because it had already decimated Iran's military and nuclear programme.

"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," 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 that any nuclear work was being carried out there.

Earlier on Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had not made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the United States remained open to a diplomatic solution.

Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against launching a new offensive, following threats that strikes could resume after crucial elections in both countries.

Trump had previously warned that an attack could come after the US midterm elections this week, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.

The elections in both countries could determine the direction of the conflict, with Israel having voted in a general election on Tuesday but yet to form a new government.

"Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders, according to a statement.

Khamenei also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".

This was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and senior military commanders.

The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before taking the helm in March, following the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes.

Rubio warned that "we can achieve military objectives if we seek to", adding that Trump had not made a decision on any fresh strikes.

Since the recent outbreak of the war, Tehran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Iran has previously warned that it would also consider severing undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.

A ship travelling through the strait struck a mine and caught fire, Iranian state television reported on Saturday.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that three oil tankers had been halted after encountering unspecified "incidents" or hitting mines.

The blockade has caused a spike in global energy prices, making the war unpopular among the US public ahead of the upcoming elections.

Gains for the opposition Democrats could restrict, to an extent, Trump's ability to enact policy.

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.

Fresh diplomatic efforts are under way to avert a resumption of fighting.

Qatari mediators landed in Tehran on Friday, and US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei.

"I read the letter," said Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in a video broadcast on Iranian television.

"I haven't yet responded. Their tone has completely changed," he added, describing this as "a good sign" without going into more detail.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were currently no plans for meetings with US officials.

"Iran's conditions are clear, and consultations regarding them are ongoing among mediators," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera, according to the state news agency IRNA.

Rezaei insisted Iran would continue to blockade the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions, including the release of frozen assets, were met.

Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, but the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said any resumption of hostilities would only expand the scope of the war.

"The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area," he said on social media.

Araghchi warned on X that there would no longer be any "red lines".