US President Donald Trump renewed his threat of military action against Iran on Sunday, saying Washington might have to "give them the hammer," even as diplomatic efforts continued to avert another escalation.
"The only reason why I'm not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can," Trump told supporters at a rally in Iowa.
"But at some point we're going to have to give them the hammer," he added.
Trump had previously told reporters that the US still had one or two targets left to strike in Iran, suggesting further military action could be imminent.
He specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear facility, in Isfahan province.
His latest remarks came amid uncertainty over negotiations aimed at preventing renewed US and Israeli attacks on Iran, following the outbreak of the conflict on Feb. 28.
US media reported that Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday about talks with Tehran and the possibility of further military escalation.
According to Axios, Netanyahu was pushing for an immediate strike after Tuesday's US midterm elections, while Trump favored allowing more time for diplomacy.
