Trump 'hasn't made a decision' on whether to resume Iran strikes, Rubio says

President Donald Trump said Saturday night that negotiations with Iran are progressing, but expressed skepticism about Tehran's willingness to follow through on a potential agreement.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said he remains interested in reaching a deal despite concerns about Iran's reliability.

"They are going fine. But, you know, like they're not very reliable. I will tell you. They make a deal and then they back out. I want to make a deal. We'll see if they make a deal," he said.

The remarks come as diplomatic efforts involving Qatari mediators continue, with Iranian officials outlining conditions for a potential agreement with Washington.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. is in no rush to resume military strikes against Iran, arguing that American forces have already destroyed much of Tehran's military capabilities.

Speaking to reporters during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said the U.S. has severely weakened Iran's navy, air force, air defenses and military manufacturing infrastructure.

"We're not in that much of a hurry from the standpoint that we've knocked down their Navy, we've knocked out their air force, we've knocked out their anti-aircraft," Trump said.

The president also suggested that only a small number of Iranian nuclear sites remain to be addressed, indicating that additional military action could be carried out quickly.

"I would say 1 or 2 sites, but we can do that in ten minutes," Trump said.

Trump specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, an Iranian underground nuclear facility, as a potential target.

His remarks come as the administration weighs whether to resume military operations against Iran while diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue.

President Donald Trump held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as Washington weighs another round of military action against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The conversation followed a White House meeting earlier this week between Trump and senior military commanders to review potential operations in the Middle East, according to the Journal, which cited people familiar with the discussion.

The reported call comes as Iranian officials warn of retaliation if the U.S. resumes strikes, while negotiations involving Qatari mediators continue in an effort to end the war.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned Saturday that the country's military would determine the timing and scope of its response to any renewed attacks by the U.S. or Israel.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that American forces have redirected 144 commercial vessels as part of the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.

CENTCOM announced the figure in a post on X, alongside a photo showing a U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter taking off from the flight deck of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier.

The military said the aircraft carrier is supporting enforcement of the blockade, which remains in place as diplomatic efforts continue to end the war with Iran.

The update comes as Iranian officials discuss proposals that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid negotiations with regional mediators.

Fox News contributor and former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman warned Saturday that Iran may be seeking a prolonged conflict with the U.S. despite mounting economic pressure and diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Speaking on "Fox Report," Hoffman said Tehran has shown little willingness to negotiate on Washington's terms, pointing to recent outreach involving Vice President JD Vance, Qatari mediators and regional officials.

"There's no indication that they feel like this war is a loser for them," Hoffman said.

Hoffman argued that Iran's leadership appears willing to withstand economic hardship while attempting to weaken the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.

He also warned that renewed American strikes could trigger Iranian retaliation against U.S. military bases and critical energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Hoffman said Iran retains ballistic missiles, drones and other capabilities that could be used in retaliatory attacks, adding that the Trump administration would need to prepare for those risks before resuming military operations.

Fox News senior strategic analyst retired Gen. Jack Keane expressed skepticism Saturday about the prospects of a diplomatic agreement with Iran amid reports that Vice President JD Vance contacted an Iranian hard-liner at President Donald Trump's direction.

Speaking on "Saturday in America," Keane argued that months of diplomatic efforts have demonstrated that Tehran is unwilling to negotiate a meaningful agreement.

"What have we learned in six and a half months of a diplomatic effort with the Iranians?" he said. "We learned that one thing they really not serious about making a consequential deal. And two, overwhelmingly everybody in the region knows. And I think most people in the United States, frankly, know, even if you're paying half attention to this issue, is that they would never comply with it."

Keane's remarks come as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Trump has not decided whether to resume military strikes against Iran but prefers a diplomatic resolution.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Saturday that Tehran remains open to diplomacy if its seven conditions are met, while threatening military retaliation if the country comes under attack.

"We have repeatedly stated; the seven conditions announced by Iran must be fulfilled. If the conditions are met, the path of diplomacy will be open," Rezaei wrote on X.

"In response, if any action is taken against the country, in accordance with the Supreme Leader's directive today to the armed forces, we will deliver devastating blows to the aggressor using new weaponry," he added.

Rezaei's comments came after Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructed the country's armed forces Saturday to prepare for a response to threats without geographic restrictions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said Saturday that President Donald Trump has not decided whether to resume strikes against Iran, but prefers a diplomatic resolution.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Saturday that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has returned to near prewar levels, excluding Iranian oil shipments.

"The Strait of Hormuz transit levels are back to pre-conflict levels minus Iranian barrels," Bessent wrote on X.

"The world can live without Iranian oil," he added. "Iran cannot live without oil exports."

Bessent also shared a graphic labeled "Operation Economic Outcast" showing 1.5 billion barrels of oil exported through the Strait of Hormuz by the U.S. and zero barrels by Iran.

The remarks come as the U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports amid the ongoing war with Tehran.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a photo Saturday showing a U.S. sailor signaling to an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet during nighttime operations aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.

The image, shared on CENTCOM's official X account, shows the sailor holding illuminated signaling wands on the carrier's flight deck as the fighter jet prepares to maneuver.

The USS George H.W. Bush has been operating in the Middle East in support of the U.S. military's blockade of Iranian ports amid the ongoing war with Iran. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that President Donald Trump "hasn't made a decision" whether or not to resume strikes on Iran. 

Rubio, speaking at the G20 meeting in Atlanta, said Trump prefers to solve the conflict diplomatically. 

"This is also a country and a regime that is at the center of all the instability in the Middle East," Rubio said earlier. "In Lebanon there is instability because they support Hezbollah. In Saudi Arabia they are under attack because Iran supports the Houthis. In Iraq, is a country that is feeling challenged because Iranian-backed militias are challenging the state there. So anywhere you turn what you find is some Iranian proxy that's undermining the peace and stability of the Middle East. That is a fundamental threat that we have to confront, on top of the fact that they want nuclear weapons." 

"This is a regime that has massacred its own people," he added. "You could only imagine what it would do to others if it possessed weapons of mass destruction, which will never be allowed to happen as long as President Trump is in the White House." 

Strikes launched by Iran against more than two dozen U.S. bases in the Middle East have resulted in billions of dollars of equipment damage, according to The Associated Press. 

The news agency cited its analysis on satellite imagery from multiple providers and said it spoke to four regional officials who were briefed or have firsthand knowledge of what was hit. 

The AP reported that through August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iranian-backed militias damaged or destroyed structures on 26 military bases and other sites with American equipment. Many of the attacks focused on aircraft hangars and systems that detect incoming strikes, the AP added. 

It said most of the Iranian attacks have been in Kuwait, but U.S. sites in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also have been targeted. 

Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was struck at least 30 times, damaging or destroying at least 15 aircraft hangars, numerous warehouses and 10 buildings near a residential area, according to the AP. 

Al Dhafra Air Base, about 20 miles south of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, was hit frequently early in the war, a regional military official with direct knowledge of the damage told the AP. The official noted damage to infrastructure like aircraft hangars and other installations as well as to equipment such as an early-warning radar system and surveillance drones. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for comment. 

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the AP that U.S. “forces and bases are well protected and America’s military is stronger than ever.” 

“Our service members in CENTCOM have everything they need to continue their historic success ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” he added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this post. 

Major Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff of the armed forces of Iran, insisted Saturday that the country's military would respond quickly to any attacks. 

"Whenever signs of hostile enemy action are confirmed, the armed forces will not wait for the start of his action in choosing the time and manner of response," he wrote on X. 

"With all informational capacity, we monitor the enemy's movements and preparations and update the target bank," Abdollahi added. 

He made the remark in response to a call from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to confront any threat "with an immediate, effective, and unrestricted geographical response." 

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Tehran currently has no plans to meet with U.S. officials for talks aimed at ending the war.

“We see no need to meet with the Americans at present. Our conditions are clear, and mediators are continuing their consultations regarding them,” Araghchi reportedly said, adding, “What is being circulated in this regard is merely media speculation.”

The remarks come after an official told Reuters Saturday that Iranian negotiators are meeting with Qatari mediators in Doha.

The Qatari team has been in frequent contact with the U.S. during the discussions, Reuters cited an official briefed on the negotiations as saying.

Negotiators from Iran are in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday for talks with Qatari mediators aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war, according to Reuters.

The Qatari team has been in frequent contact with the U.S. during the discussions, it cited an official briefed on the negotiations as saying.

The official added that Saturday's talks come after more than 12 hours of negotiations in Tehran, Iran, on Friday.

The U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28.

Saudi Arabia's vice minister of foreign affairs Waleed ElKhereiji said Saturday that people "want to bring peace back to the region" during the U.S.-Iran war. 

ElKhereiji made the remark during the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, where he added that efforts were being made to prevent a military escalation and reach an agreement that ends the conflict with Iran. 

“If you look at… the efforts that everybody is trying to do, the message is very clear," ElKhereiji said, according to The Associated Press. "People in this part of the world want to bring peace back to the region." 

The Associated Press contributed to this post. 

U.S. Central Command released a new image Saturday of a F/A-18 Super Hornet jet on the flight deck of the USS George H.W. Bush during nighttime operations.

The aircraft carrier has operated in the Middle East in support of the U.S. military's blockade on Iranian ports.

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said this week that "since day one, America's sons and daughters, serving in the Middle East, have shown relentless commitment, dedication, and courage.

"It's been the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside them and recognize them for the tremendous accomplishments on behalf of the nation," Cooper added. "As their commander, I could not be prouder, and I know that the families, friends, loved ones, and the American people back home share in this pride."

The Trump administration warned Iran that there "will be consequences" if Tehran continues its malign activities amid growing concern over a potential new round of U.S.-Iran hostilities after the midterm elections.

With just days until the 2026 elections and with war raging on in the Middle East, foreign ministers from the world's largest economies gathered in Atlanta, Georgia ahead of the G20 leaders meeting in December.

"The Iranian regime has had a choice... to either pursue the path towards normalcy, towards prosperity for their people, the path towards diplomacy. Or they can continue their malign activities, but there will be consequences for that, and we've seen the president taking concrete action," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Pigott was responding to reports that U.S. officials have warned regional partners to prepare for the possibility of heightened U.S. military action against Iran after Tuesday's elections, as well as potential Iranian retaliation.

President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on renewed strikes, but U.S. diplomats and defense officials have privately urged several Middle Eastern countries and regional allies to prepare for the possibility of new military action and Iranian retaliation, according to an Associated Press report citing two diplomats briefed on the warnings.

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said Saturday that Saudi Arabia's air defenses "intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone in the Riyadh region." 

Al-Malki added that fragments from the drone fell "without injuries."  

The incident comes as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been launching attacks against Saudi Arabia. 

A Republican member on the House Armed Services Committee told Fox News Digital ahead of the midterm elections that the Trump administration has a key decision to make on the future of the U.S.-Iran war as "continuing to do just enough not to lose, but not enough to win, is not OK."

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., made the comments as Vice President JD Vance declared during a Fox News town hall on Thursday that he promises "Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war." Official and military sources also told Fox News this week that movements are being made in the Middle East to give the president options if he decides to resume strikes against Iran.

"I share my constituents and many Americans' perspective that I'm very, very frustrated that this war is not over. The way that ultimately this administration went about conducting the war, it needed to execute it and wrap it up in a very short period of time, and we are not there yet," said Harrigan, who is running for re-election in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District.

"That being said, Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. And so at the end of the day, I do believe that this was a war that was inevitable at some point, but the party that's in power and the administration that decided to pull the trigger on it is responsible for the outcome, and they're responsible for the outcome in a very short period of time. Otherwise, things get really, really difficult," Harrigan continued. "And I think we've been seeing that, both from a political perspective but also from a policy perspective."

"And so while the administration needs to wrap this up, we are not in a forever war, but we need to make sure that we're not... we keep the mission the same. We accomplish the mission. And we do what it takes to either win or come home," Harrigan added. "And that binary decision has to get made by this administration."