U.S. President Donald Trump said he has no regrets about starting the war with Iran and would make the same decision again under similar circumstances. In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, he said he would have struck Iran even if that damaged Republicans’ position ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump argued that if Iran had a nuclear weapon, it would use it. He also said the Islamic Republic would “wipe out” Israel and the Middle East and then begin striking U.S. cities.
The remarks come as markets prepare for the possibility of a longer war with Iran. According to a Wall Street Journal report, senior White House advisers discussed with Trump the prospect that the conflict could continue beyond his current term. At the same time, Trump has insisted that the war will end immediately after the midterm elections and that oil and gas prices will fall as well.
In separate comments to NewsNation, the U.S. president denied reports that Iran had damaged American assets at a base in Jordan. Iran had earlier claimed it damaged multiple U.S. fighter aircraft there. Responding to that claim, Trump said: “No damage. No nothing.”
Economic pressure
At the same time, Washington is continuing its push to isolate Iran from funding channels. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration will impose sanctions on “a large bank” next Monday. He said the move would come after the U.S. honors the memory of those lost on Sept. 11.
Bessent also said the administration had sanctioned and shut the Dubai branches of the second largest bank in Egypt, alleging that the bank had provided Iran with $1.8 billion. He added that the “largest Turkish bank” that had been supporting the Iranians was also sanctioned, though he did not identify the institutions.
Asked by NewsNation how Iran could continue to withstand the current economic pressure, Trump said he was not sure Tehran would be able to hold out for long. Still, he repeated that the situation would be resolved after the election, or possibly sooner.
