President Donald Trump said he would prefer to avoid further destruction in Iran but left open additional U.S. military action, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. You will know soon enough.”
The remarks are in the White House video of Trump’s November 5 Oval Office signing event and press questions.
A warning, not an announced attack
Trump’s comments were a statement about possible further action. Neither report cited here announces an order launching new strikes, a target list or a timetable for an attack.
In the same White House recording, Trump said: “If we have to do the rest of the Iran thing, we’re very much locked and loaded.” He also said Washington would make a decision on whether to go further.
The language leaves the possibility of further military action open without establishing that action is imminent. His stated preference to avoid additional destruction and his warning that he might act were both part of the reported remarks.
Diplomacy remains part of the picture
The warning comes alongside reports of an indirect diplomatic channel. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had sent a nuclear proposal through Qatar but would discuss it only after Washington met Iranian conditions, as JBizNews reported earlier Thursday.
The official’s account that Washington was reviewing the proposal was attributed to that Iranian source, not presented as an independently confirmed U.S. announcement. A proposal transmitted through a mediator is not an agreed settlement.
In earlier reporting on the possibility of renewed hostilities, JBizNews covered Reuters’ account based on two sources. Trump’s latest public warning adds his own words to that discussion, but does not by itself confirm those sources’ expectations or a decision to attack.
What the remarks establish
The confirmed news in the cited accounts is what Trump said publicly about his options. His statements about military readiness and future decisions are attributed to him; they are not independent evidence of operational orders.
The remarks also do not establish the condition of Iran’s nuclear facilities or a verified casualty toll. Those separate factual questions should not be treated as settled by presidential claims made during the exchange.
JBizNews Desk | Global & Politics
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