Trump renews threat to 'give them the hammer' over Iran nuclear site

Trump warns of military action

US President Donald Trump on Sunday renewed his threat of military action against Iran, warning that Washington might soon "give them the hammer" despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the conflict that erupted on Feb. 28.

Speaking to supporters at a rally in Iowa, Trump stated that he had held back on military action to preserve life. "The only reason why I'm not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can," he said. He added: "But at some point we're going to have to give them the hammer."

Nuclear facility targeted

Trump specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility in Isfahan province, as a potential target. He had previously told reporters that Washington retained one or two remaining targets in Iran, suggesting further strikes could follow, according to US media reports.

His latest remarks came amid uncertainty over negotiations aimed at preventing renewed US and Israeli attacks. Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday about talks with Tehran and the possibility of further military escalation, according to Axios. Netanyahu was pushing for an immediate strike following Tuesday's US midterm elections, while Trump favored allowing more time for diplomacy, the outlet reported.