'I am not up for killing people, but if we have to, we’ll have to': Trump warns Iran of more US strikes

Following the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (November 3) that he is not up for killing lots of people in Iran; however, he warned that Washington would take decisive action if required. “Look, I’m not looking to, you know, kill lots of people, but if we have to, we’ll have to,” Trump said amid reports that the US was planning to launch strikes on Iran after the end of polling.

President Trump said American forces had struck a newly built Iranian anti-aircraft facility overnight, after keeping watch on its construction for more than two months. “Just a minor attack. It wasn’t war," he said. "They built an anti-aircraft facility... As soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely," Trump said on the Fox & Friends show.

US military conducts ‘defensive’ strikes against Iran

Citing a US official report, local media also confirmed that the US military conducted “defensive” strikes against Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday. Trump maintained that the standoff with Iran is unlike conventional conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war or World War II, insisting that Washington now holds decisive leverage over Tehran after severely weakening Iran’s naval and air capabilities throughout the ongoing war.

Trump went on to say that the US had Iran “totally where we want,” adding that Washington could choose to “finish them off” or instead show restraint and spare thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost in a full-scale war. Meanwhile, Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported that, in rapid succession, five explosions were heard on the island, and some residents saw two aircraft flying in its skies.

US officials confirmed that the recent attack was defensive in nature, to stop Iran from having the freedom to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for oil shipments that has been largely blocked ever since the war erupted in the region.