U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning that the remainder of Iran may also have to be destroyed. He stated that while he would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country if possible, circumstances might force his hand, adding that more details would be known very soon.

Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress sharply criticized the threats of destruction against Iran. One lawmaker noted that the decision to end the war no longer rests solely with Trump, as Congress can use its power of the purse to halt the conflict. Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker and former Army Ranger declared that "this war must end."

According to Al Jazeera, Trump spoke about potential attacks on Iran during an interaction with reporters on Thursday (November 5). He estimated that it would take Iran 25 years to rebuild after the war with the United States and Israel.

"If possible, I don’t want to destroy the rest of the country. But maybe I’ll have to. You’ll find out very soon," he said.

Speaking to journalists at the White House, President Trump made several other key remarks. He stated that after being involved in the conflict with Iran for over eight months, the U.S. now controls "everything we wanted to control" in the country. "We’ll decide whether we’re going to go further," he added.

When asked about a nuclear proposal sent from Tehran, Trump asserted that Iran cannot proceed with any aspect of its nuclear program "without authorization" from the United States.

Reacting to the escalation threats, U.S. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari criticized President Donald Trump for threatening to destroy a country of 90 million people.

"He’s threatening to wipe out a country of 90 million people again. This is a crime against humanity," Ansari posted on X (formerly Twitter).

She urged Democrats to take urgent action to stop Trump’s "reckless war of choice." Ansari added, "As Democrats take back control of the House and Senate, we must act urgently to stop Trump’s reckless war."

"Enough is enough," she emphasized, speaking out shortly after Trump remarked that while he did not want to destroy the rest of Iran, he might be forced to do so.

Separately, another U.S. lawmaker noted that President Trump no longer holds sole authority over when the war with Iran will end, following the Republican Party's loss of control in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections.

Democratic Congressman from Colorado and former Army Ranger Jason Crow said, "We have the power of the purse. We determine how money is spent, and it takes money to wage a war. Nearly $100 billion of taxpayer money has been spent so far, so we can cut off that funding flow."

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Crow added, "An overwhelming majority of Americans—both Republicans and Democrats—want an end to this war. It is one of the few issues in the U.S. today where there is broad bipartisan consensus.

In fact, that is why Donald Trump campaigned for years promising to end Middle East wars, because he knows that's what the American people want."