Iran ‘not doing anything without our approval,’ US president says when asked about mediators’ nuclear proposals
US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs the White House en route to Iowa, in Washington, DC, US, October 22, 2026. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he may have to “destroy the rest” of Iran, and that “you’ll know soon enough.”
“Now we’ll make a decision: Do we want to go further and just certify it, by certifying it, meaning it will never happen again?” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country, if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. And you’ll know soon enough,” he said.
Trump said he thinks it will take Iran 25 years to rebuild after the US-Israeli war on the country that began in February and has yet to be settled.
Asked about reports that Iran sent a proposal to the US through mediators on the future of its nuclear program and whether the US is involved, Trump said: “They’re not doing anything without our approval.”
Iran claims it downed 2 US reconnaissance drones over Qeshm Island
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that it had brought down two US MQM-170 reconnaissance drones over Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
In two separate statements, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force used advanced electronic warfare systems to disable the drones over the island, bringing the total number of MQM-170 drones it claimed to have downed to six.
The statements did not provide further details about the incidents.
Iran previously said it brought down four US MQM-170 drones in the Strait of Hormuz area during the ongoing conflict.
The latest incidents come amid continued military tensions between Tehran and Washington following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that began on Feb. 28.
