Trump says US still has 'one or two targets' in Iran

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.

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 is not in a hurry to take offensive action because it had already decimated Iran's military and nuclear program.

"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 any nuclear work is carried out there.

Earlier Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the United States would be 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 they could resume strikes after crucial elections in both countries.

Trump had previously warned an attack could come after the U.S. midterms 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 military top brass.

The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

AFP