Trump says US could hit Iran nuclear sites in '10 minutes'

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington retains the capacity to strike Iran's remaining suspected nuclear facilities in a matter of minutes, signaling the possibility of further military action despite ongoing diplomatic negotiations.

'10-minute' strike plan

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump claimed that recent US military operations had severely degraded Iran's armed forces and nuclear infrastructure, leaving only a limited number of sites requiring attention. "We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes. So, we have that plan," he said, specifically referencing the suspected facility at Pickaxe Mountain. "You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added.

Skepticism on talks

The remarks came as Iranian negotiators met with Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday, following preliminary discussions in Tehran on Friday aimed at resolving the conflict through diplomatic channels. Trump expressed skepticism regarding Tehran's commitment to any potential agreement, stating: "They're going fine, but they're not very reliable. I will tell you, they make a deal and then they back out. They want to make a deal. We'll see if they make a deal." He reiterated Washington's absolute opposition to Iranian nuclear weapons acquisition, declaring: "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. They want to make a deal; we'll find out about that."

Regional conflict

Tensions have remained elevated across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation against American allies throughout the region. Trump asserted that Washington was not rushing to secure an agreement, claiming that sustained military pressure had already destroyed much of Iran's navy, air force, air defenses, and military equipment. When asked whether operations could resume as early as this week, he declined to specify, retorting: "Why would you ask such a stupid question? I can't tell you."