US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States is ready to “finish the job” in Iran, saying fresh strikes may follow as he weighs whether to escalate the conflict further.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, 5 November, after a meeting with his national security advisers, Trump said Iran had been largely destroyed in the conflict and that the country could take more than two decades to rebuild — a figure some outlets reported as 25 to 30 years.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. You’ll know soon enough,” Trump said, according to reports of the remarks.
“We are prepared and ready to act. At least if we need to finish the job with Iran, we are definitely ready for that,” he added.
“We’re building more weapons right now in our military than we’ve ever built before. If we have to do the rest of the Iran thing, we’re very much locked and loaded,” Trump said.
The remarks were the president’s first public comments on Iran since the midterm elections on 3 November, and they kept open the option of renewed military action without announcing any new strikes.
No decision yet, no timetable given
Despite the warning, Trump did not say that new strikes had been ordered, and he gave no timetable or targets. Reporting of the meeting said he is weighing three options: further strikes, continued economic pressure, or a deal with Tehran.
“Now we will make a decision. Do we want to go further [with strikes]…?” Trump said, according to Moneycontrol’s account of the remarks.
The uncertainty follows days of mixed signals. On 1 November, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no decision on further strikes had been made. On 2 November, Trump answered “No” when asked whether he would strike Iran after the midterms. In an interview with the Financial Times published on 3 November, he said the United States had no immediate plan to renew strikes.
That makes the 5 November remarks a shift in tone rather than a new order — a warning that escalation remains on the table, not a declaration that it has begun.
The rebuild claim, and a recurring line
The Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters contributors, reported Trump’s account that Iran was largely destroyed and would take more than two decades to rebuild. The Sunday Guardian’s live coverage reported the same figure, while Gulf News reported the president as saying 25 to 30 years.
The difference matters: the rebuild figure should be read as a range of more than 20 years, not as a single settled number, and “largely destroyed” is the outlets’ paraphrase of Trump’s remarks — not a direct quote from the president.
The language itself is not new. Trump has used near-identical rebuild language before, including in July 2026, when he said it would take Iran 20 to 25 years to rebuild. What is new is the occasion: the 5 November Oval Office remarks, delivered after his first Iran meeting since the midterms, with a decision explicitly pending.
Trump links the war to the midterm result
Trump also acknowledged that the war had hurt Republicans in the midterm elections, linking the political cost to a short-term rise in fuel prices — but said he would make the same decision again.
The war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February 2026 according to Gulf News, has become a central political question in Washington, with voters and lawmakers split over its cost and its aims.
Trump repeated his long-standing position that “Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” and backed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he was not considering replacing him.
Gulf News also reported that Trump acknowledged 18 US service members have died in the conflict.
What happens next
No date has been set for a decision, and no further details have been given about what form any additional action might take. Diplomacy continues in parallel: Qatar is mediating between Washington and Tehran, and Iran has sent a nuclear proposal to the United States through Doha — a proposal Washington is reported to be reviewing.
For now, the position is as Trump left it in the Oval Office: the United States is ready to act, a decision is coming, and Iran will, in his words, “know soon enough.”
FAQ
Did Trump order new strikes on Iran?
No. On 5 November he warned the US was ready to “finish the job” and said a decision was coming, but he announced no new strikes, no timetable and no targets.
What did Trump say about Iran being destroyed?
Outlets reported his account that Iran had been largely destroyed and could take more than two decades to rebuild — some reported 25 to 30 years. “Largely destroyed” is the outlets’ paraphrase, not a direct quote.
Has Trump used this rebuild language before?
Yes. He used near-identical language in July 2026. The 5 November remarks are a new utterance of a recurring line, delivered after his first Iran meeting since the midterms.
What are Trump’s options on Iran?
According to reporting of the meeting, he is weighing further strikes, continued economic pressure, or a deal with Tehran.
How long has the US-Iran conflict been going on?
US-Israeli strikes began on 28 February 2026, according to Gulf News. Trump has acknowledged 18 US service members have died in the conflict.
Sources
- The Jerusalem Post, 6 Nov 2026 — “Donald Trump: Iran largely destroyed, US ready to ‘finish the job’ if needed” — https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-914040
- Sunday Guardian Live, 6 Nov 2026 — “US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live Updates: Trump Says Iran Has Been Largely Destroyed…” — https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/us-israel-iran-war-latest-live-updates-trump-says-iran-has-been-largely-destroyed-in-conflict-warns-of-fresh-us-strikes-and-claims-country-could-take-over-20-years-to-rebuild-318230/amp/
- Gulf News live blog, 6 Nov 2026 — “Trump threatens more destruction in Iran: ‘You’ll know soon enough'” — https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/trump-weighs-iran-strikes-or-deal-after-midterm-loss-as-vance-urges-agreement-qatar-mediates-brent-oil-falls-to-93-1.500736556
- Moneycontrol, 6 Nov 2026 — Trump Iran remarks report — https://www.moneycontrol.com/
- ETV Bharat, 6 Nov 2026 — Trump Iran remarks report — https://www.etvbharat.com/en
