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President Donald Trump said the U.S. is not taking the Iran war to its full extent because of the upcoming Nov. 3 midterm elections, arguing that the conflict could wind down around the vote.
"Well, maybe I don't do that because of the election," Trump responded to a question about calls for the United States to "go in full" against Iran in an interview with Fox News. "They're limping along. They're in deep trouble."
The U.S. president predicted the fighting would end shortly after the election but acknowledged it could also stop beforehand.
Asked how Iran is still able to launch missiles despite U.S. attacks, Trump pointed to the weapons it has left. "They had plenty, and they have some. They've been largely wiped out ... But they have missiles. They'll always have some missiles," he asserted.
Trump also defended his handling of the conflict, saying he has no regrets about the decisions he has made. "If I had to do it again, I would do exactly as I did," he said.
He claimed the U.S. had eliminated Iran's nuclear capability and argued that Tehran would have used a nuclear weapon against Israel and targets across the Middle East if it had one.
"They're crazy ... They would have wiped out Israel. They would have wiped out the Middle East and they would have started hitting a couple of our cities," Trump remarked.
"If Iran had a nuclear weapon, we'd be calling up and saying, ‘Sir, could we get together possibly?’ We'd be dealing with them much differently."
Later Thursday, Trump rejected a Wall Street Journal report that senior White House advisers had privately raised the possibility of the Iran conflict continuing through the remainder of his presidency, potentially beyond January 2029.
The report, citing U.S. officials, said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior advisers had discussed the prospect with Trump in private meetings in the Oval Office and Situation Room.
They warned that Tehran could continue resisting the U.S. military and economic pressure campaign despite the naval blockade and sanctions.
"It's one of the most inaccurate papers I've ever read ... There's not even a chance," Trump said, pushing back against the report.
He also addressed rising oil prices, predicting they would return to previous levels once the war ends.
“When that ends, and I think it'll end very shortly after the election. (It) could end before the election, but I think it'll end very shortly after the election,” he said.
Oil prices surged sharply overnight, with international benchmark Brent crude briefly approaching $110 a barrel as escalating attacks in the Middle East raised fresh concerns over global energy supplies.
Brent climbed as high as $109.97, marking a four-month high after jumping about 6% overnight, while the benchmark was on track for a weekly gain of nearly 13%.
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