Trump says he would repeat Iran strikes despite political impact

U.S. President Donald Trump has defended his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear capabilities, saying he would make the same choice again despite questions over the potential impact of the conflict on the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said he had no regrets about the decision and argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon justified the military action.

“No. I don’t believe in the word ‘regret’. You can always question yourself a little bit, and a few people have asked me that. If i had to do it again, I’d do exactly as I did. I took out their nuclear capability. Supposing we were cruising and all of a sudden Iran has a nuclear weapon. They would use it, they [are] crazy. I deal with them. They’re crazy,” Trump said in the interview.

Trump also said he was holding back from launching what he described as “full-scale” attacks on Iran, citing the U.S. congressional elections scheduled for November as one factor in his decision-making.

The United States launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Three months later, in June, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding, paving the way for negotiations. Mutual attacks resumed in early July.

Earlier, on September 9, Trump said that the war with Iran would end after the midterm congressional elections on November 3, although he later indicated that hostilities could conclude sooner.

"I think the war's going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer," Trump said.

However, The Wall Street Journal has reported that the White House is also discussing the possibility that the conflict could continue through the remainder of Trump’s presidential term, which runs until 2029.

By Sabina Mammadli