Trump says US may have to 'destroy' rest of Iran

Summary

US President Donald Trump said the United States may have to 'destroy' the rest of Iran, adding that people will 'know soon enough' about his decision. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he would 'rather not destroy the rest of the country, if possible, but maybe I'll have to.' He framed the choice as whether to go further and certify that the threat 'will never happen again,' and Middle East Eye reported that he estimated it would take 25 years to rebuild Iran after the US-Israeli war on the country. Al Jazeera's live coverage of the Iran war carried the same warning.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   6 Nov 2026, 00:00 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that Trump says the US may have to 'destroy' the rest of Iran, adding that people will 'know soon enough'.

2. Middle East Eye

   6 Nov 2026, 06:36 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he may need to 'destroy the rest' of Iran, that he thinks rebuilding it will take 25 years, and that 'you'll know soon enough' about his decision.