Trump backs plan to eliminate Iran’s entire missile capabilities amid escalating tensions

WEST PALM BEACH, ‌FLORIDA: President Donald Trump appears in no mood to relent as he d down on efforts to dismantle Iran’s already weakened missile program while signaling that renewed US strikes remain firmly on the table.

The Commander-in-Chief was speaking to reporters as he boarded Air Force One from West Palm Beach, Florida, when he was asked about Washington’s plan to eliminate remaining Iranian missile power.

"Well, I'd like to eliminate it, yeah, I'd like to. It'd be a start for them to build up again. And yeah, I would like to eliminate it,” Trump replied.

Despite US officials’ claims that Iran's arsenal has been "depleted and decimated”, it is estimated that the regime still retains thousands of short-range ballistic missiles and has the ability to reactivate their launchers.

A report by The New York Times noted that while Iran’s weapons manufacturing capacity was significantly degraded since Operation Fury, multiple officials claim that Tehran still holds roughly 40 per cent of its prewar drone arsenal.

Officials said the drones continue to act as a deterrent, adding that while warships can intercept them, they still pose a significant threat to commercial shipping.

According to the assessment, Iran retained about half of its missile launchers at the time of the ceasefire. In the days that followed, it reportedly recovered around 100 additional systems that had been concealed in caves and bunkers, raising its operational launcher capacity to roughly 60 percent of prewar levels.

Trump says US can restart strikes if Tehran misbehaves

The President further indicated that while diplomatic options remain under consideration, he is leaving doors open for renewed military operations.

“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we will see. It's a possibility that could happen, certainly,” Trump said.

Donald Trump also struck a more cautious tone, saying that “on a human basis” he would prefer to avoid military action against Iran.

At the same time, he told congressional leaders he did not require their approval to extend the conflict past the legal deadline, arguing that a ceasefire had already brought hostilities to an end.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal?” he told reporters at the White House when asked about his options.

Iranian official warns renewed conflict between Iran and US is “likely”

Trump’s statement came on the heels of an Iranian official warning that renewed conflict between Iran and the US is “likely”, indicating that the temporary ceasefire might collapse.

"Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements," Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior figure in the Iranian military's central command, told Iran’s Fars news agency.

Ali Rafiei Atani, an IRGC commander in Qazvin province also added that Iran wants US to test its strength. “We hope America makes a mistake and tests its power on the ground as well. It was defeated at sea and in the air, and we would like it to test itself on the ground too,” he said, claiming the conflict had “shattered America’s hollow power.”

It came as Trump said that the US is “better off not making a deal at all” with Iran, as he is “not satisfied” with the peace deals offered by the regime.