Next Target? Trump Warns of Pickaxe Mountain Strike if Iran Nuclear Deal Fails

WASHINGTON, Nov 3: US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could launch fresh military strikes against Iran, including targeting a site known as “Pickaxe Mountain,” if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump said the United States could strike the site, which is linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, at any time.

“We might have to go after Pickaxe. We can do that in one hour, as soon as we want, at any time we want,” Trump said.

Trump did not rule out a resumption of military hostilities between the two countries if diplomatic efforts fail.

“It could happen if they don’t make a deal, but they want to make a deal very badly and there is a very good chance we make a deal,” he said.

Expressing a preference for a diplomatic settlement, Trump added: “If I can make a deal, I’d rather do it — save a lot of lives.”

His remarks came shortly after the US military carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

According to Axios, citing a US official, American forces destroyed an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) surface-to-air missile launcher on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday night after Iranian forces fired a missile at a US aircraft operating in the Strait of Hormuz.

The reported incident adds to growing military tensions between Washington and Tehran, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping corridor for global energy supplies.

Trump's latest warning signals that further military action remains a possibility even as he maintains that Iran is interested in reaching a negotiated agreement.