U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the United States may need to take further military steps against Iran, saying the country could take a quarter-century to rebuild while warning that a decision would come soon.
At the same time, Iran has forwarded a nuclear proposal to Washington via Qatari mediators, conditioning any talks on the U.S. first meeting a list of seven demands.
Regional diplomacy, meanwhile, continues amid mutual distrust and Tehran’s threats of wider retaliation.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after meeting with national security advisers, Trump said he would prefer not to destroy what remains of Iran but left open the possibility that he might have to.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to,” he stated, according to multiple accounts of the remarks. He added that the public would “know soon enough” about any decision.
Trump estimated that rebuilding Iran would take 25 years following the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February. The comments came days after U.S. midterm elections and amid reports that American and Israeli forces had prepared plans for possible renewed operations. Trump has described U.S. forces as prepared if needed to complete unfinished aspects of the campaign.
Trump on Iran:
I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to.
You will know soon enough. https://t.co/exoN4iHFzA
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 5, 2026
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that Tehran has submitted a nuclear proposal to the United States through Qatar. The official said Washington is reviewing the document but that any discussions would occur only after the United States first meets Iran’s seven demands.
Iran has not publicly released a complete official list of those conditions. Reports citing Iranian positions indicate they include an end to hostilities, lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, removal of sanctions, release of frozen Iranian assets, reduction of the U.S. military presence in the region, compensation for war-related damages, and a halt to American attacks on Iranian territory. Iranian officials have also linked progress to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the United States “derailed” all four rounds of negotiations over the past year and a half by “reneging” on its commitments, according to state-run Press TV. “Iran has every right not to rely on US promises on paper before entering a new phase of diplomacy,” he added.
In comments reported by the Iranian state television, Bagheri Kani reiterated that Iran is not satisfied with “paper commitments” and must see practical U.S. steps before any new diplomatic efforts begin, Reuters reported.
Two more offending tankers catch fire east of Strait of Hormuz
https://t.co/L6ltt3EY6M https://t.co/Pywy3trG26
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) November 5, 2026
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke by phone with President Trump to discuss Qatar’s mediation efforts toward a comprehensive agreement to end the regional crisis, a Qatari statement said, according to Reuters. The call focused on diplomatic initiatives aimed at reducing tensions and supporting negotiations for a broader settlement.
Qatar has played a central role in the latest shuttle diplomacy between Washington and Tehran in recent weeks, with officials traveling between the two sides as both review proposals.
Iran’s army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia stated that Iran would target all assets of the “American enemy without regard to any geographical restrictions” if it is attacked again,
The comment underscores Tehran’s public posture that any renewed U.S. or allied strikes would prompt a wide response.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
