US President Donald Trump has repeatedly justified the war by pointing to Iran’s nuclear programme. Photo: AP/PTI
‘No regrets’: Trump says he is ready to start Iran war all over again
The US president defended the conflict, saying destroying Iran’s nuclear capability was worth the political and economic fallout
US President Donald Trump has said he has no regrets about starting the war with Iran, insisting that he would make the same decision again despite the political and economic fallout from the conflict.
“I don't believe in the word regret,” Trump told Fox News on Thursday (September 10). “If I had it to do again, I'd do exactly as I did. I took out their nuclear capability.”
‘No regrets’
Trump was asked whether launching the war could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections. Ingraham suggested that without the Iran conflict, Trump would be “cruising to mid-terms victory”. Trump rejected the argument, saying the risk of allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon was far greater.
Also read: When will Iran war end? Trump thinks ‘immediately after’ midterm polls
“Supposing we were cruising and all of a sudden Iran has a nuclear weapon. They would use it,” Trump said.
‘Iran would have wiped out Middle East’
He claimed Iran would have “wiped out” Israel and the Middle East if it had acquired a nuclear weapon and would eventually have targeted US cities.
Trump has repeatedly justified the war by pointing to Iran’s nuclear programme, saying the US had acted to destroy its nuclear capability. He also said Iran was trying to remove him from office because it believed a Democratic administration would allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.
“They're trying to do anything possible to get me out because they think the Democrats will let them essentially have a nuclear weapon. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
How long will the war last?
His comments come as uncertainty grows over how long the war could last. A Wall Street Journal report said senior White House advisers had discussed with Trump the possibility that the conflict could continue beyond his current term.
Also read: Why Trump’s ‘quick, decisive’ war with Iran may stretch into 2027
Trump, however, has continued to predict a quick end to the war. In a separate interview, he said the conflict would be settled after the midterm elections, “or maybe sooner”.
He has also linked the war to oil prices and the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global energy supplies passes. Addressing a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump said the US was “winning” the war and floated renaming the waterway the “Trump Strait”.
Trump also claimed that financial markets had remained strong despite the conflict, saying the stock market was at an “all-time high” and had reached record levels repeatedly during his term.
US tightens economic pressure
Meanwhile, Washington is tightening economic pressure on Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would announce further sanctions against a major bank, accusing financial institutions in the Middle East of helping Iran move billions of dollars.
Iran has also claimed that it struck multiple US fighter aircraft at a base in Jordan. Asked about the reports, Trump dismissed them.