President Trump says U.S. may target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain facility after defensive strikes

President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the United States could target a facility known as Pickaxe Mountain in Iran's Isfahan region, adding that such an operation could be carried out quickly if the decision were made. He emphasized that the recent conflict "is not a war" and noted that the U.S. had not launched attacks against Iran for several months.

U.S. officials confirmed that American forces conducted defensive airstrikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, describing the actions as limited and in response to an Iranian attack on a U.S. aircraft. The strikes were not presented as a resumption of major combat operations.

In a separate phone interview with Axios, President Trump said there is "no rush" to decide on further strikes, stating that the U.S. has financially weakened Iran and that diplomatic talks are ongoing.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said Tehran is prepared for any eventuality and warned that any party assisting the United States and Israel could face a decisive Iranian response. He called for the end of the U.S. naval blockade and the respect of Iran's demands before any final agreement could be reached.