Trump says he may have to destroy the rest of Iran as Brent nears $100

Trump's warning on Iran

Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, 5 November, that he may have to destroy the rest of Iran, although he would prefer not to. He said the United States had been in Iran for seven months and now controlled everything it wanted to control. The next step, in his words, was a decision on whether to press on and seal the matter so that nothing of the kind would happen again. He estimated that rebuilding Iran could take 25 years and told reporters they would see what he decided soon. Brent crude rose again on the same day and came close to $100 a barrel, though the reports give no further detail on the market.

Hegseth stays for now

Trump again defended Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he was doing a wonderful job. Earlier that day, Trump said that people he speaks with were urging him to dismiss Hegseth. He nonetheless said his intention was to keep Hegseth in the post. The articles do not say what prompted the remarks about dismissal, and they do not report any change in Hegseth's position.

Nuclear talks and mediators

Asked about proposals that mediators had put to Iran on the future of its nuclear program, Trump replied that Iran does nothing without US approval. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Iran is analysing concrete proposals on the program, which could determine its future. Qatar is mediating attempts to restart negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's security services, said earlier this week that Iran would not discuss its nuclear program until the United States accepted Tehran's demands. According to the NYT, Iran had shown greater openness to discussion in backchannel contacts. Officials cited by the paper said Iran's readiness to return to nuclear talks after weeks without concessions suggested Qatar's efforts to prevent a return to full-scale war had partly worked, though they gave no details of the proposals.

The uranium question

The future of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains one of the main points of dispute in the negotiations, according to the NYT. The officials described the conditions under analysis only as concrete proposals and did not set out their terms. Trump's remarks and the NYT account together outline a choice between a diplomatic breakthrough and renewed military escalation. The articles present no timetable for either outcome, and no decision has been announced.