Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel left open further Iran strikes, while US President Donald Trump suggested a longer Middle East deployment to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its capabilities.
Netanyahu told i24News Hebrew that Iran’s rulers would remain a threat unless their governing system was removed. His remarks left the door open to further military action despite his claims of substantial progress against Tehran.
Meanwhile, Trump claimed at a Kentucky campaign event on Saturday that American operations had destroyed Iran’s nuclear capacity. He suggested US forces might need to stay in the region longer to prevent Iran from restoring it.
However, he also predicted that the war would end quickly. US Vice President JD Vance outlined a condition for ending the conflict during a CBS News town hall broadcast on Saturday.
He argued that Washington had achieved decisive results in some respects but still needed a binding assurance against nuclear rebuilding.
The administration wanted a “final firm commitment” from Tehran, he said. Vance also defended continued American involvement on energy grounds.
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He argued that allowing Iran to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would restrict supplies and push petrol prices higher.
Separately, Trump told Newsmax earlier this week that Washington might attack Pickaxe Mountain, an underground complex near Iran’s Natanz nuclear facilities.
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Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper responded on Sunday by urging strikes against Israeli nuclear facilities if Washington attacked the site. Its editor-in-chief is appointed by Iran’s supreme leader; the article advocated retaliation rather than announcing a government decision.
Diplomatic appeals continued alongside the military warnings. Egypt’s State Information Service reported on Saturday that the Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers called for renewed US-Iran negotiations. Both described diplomacy as the only way to end the crisis and prevent further escalation.
