Will Trump strike Iran again? US President says military is 'locked and loaded'

US President Donald Trump has renewed his warning of possible military action against Iran, saying American forces remain prepared for another operation even as he has yet to decide whether to escalate the conflict. Speaking at the Oval Office on Thursday (November 5), Trump said Washington was strengthening its military capabilities and could act if required.

The remarks came days after Republicans suffered a setback in the midterm elections, with Vice President JD Vance partly blaming the Iran war and its economic impact for the party's poor performance. Trump said he partly agreed with Vance but defended his decision to go to war, insisting that he would make the same choice again.

"We're building more weapons right now in our military than we've ever built before," Trump said. "If we have to do the rest of the Iran thing, we're very much locked and loaded."

Asked whether another strike against Iran was being considered, Trump said the possibility remained open but that no final decision had been taken.

"We'll make a decision," Trump said about future US actions in the West Asian country.

He also spoke about the possibility of ensuring that Iran could not rebuild its capabilities, while indicating that he would prefer to avoid further destruction.

"I would rather not destroy the rest of the country, if possible, but maybe I'll have to. You'll know soon enough."

Iran's nuclear proposal reaches US through Qatar

While Trump has maintained a tough public position, diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between Washington and Tehran are continuing.

According to a Reuters report on Thursday, Iran has sent a proposal concerning its nuclear programme to the US through Qatar, which is involved in mediation efforts. The proposal was reportedly submitted separately from the conditions being discussed as part of a broader peace agreement.

Two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that the nuclear proposal was linked to whether the other 7 conditions of the proposed deal would be accepted.

The diplomatic discussions have gathered pace following reports ahead of the US midterm elections that Washington was considering a major military operation against Iran after the polls. The reports also alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pushed for such action.

Trump refuses to signal approval for Tehran's proposal

When asked about the reported nuclear proposal at the Oval Office, Trump did not offer details of Washington's response. Instead, he maintained that Tehran could not act independently of the US.

He said Iran was "not doing anything without US approval."

With diplomatic negotiations continuing and Trump refusing to rule out further military action, the future course of the US-Iran conflict remains uncertain.