Trump Says Would Rather Not Destroy Rest Of Iran But 'May Have To'
US President Donald Trump has indicated that he would rather not destroy what remains of Iran but acknowledged that he may have to, adopting a more hesitant line than his previous threats against Tehran following his Republican Party's setback in the US midterm elections.
Recommended For YouAddressing reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday (local time), Trump noted that a final decision on whether the war was close to escalating was imminent. "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I'll have to," he stated, adding, "You'll know soon enough."
He described the ultimate choice in terms of permanence. "We'll make a decision, do we want to go further and just certify it by certifying it, meaning where it'll never happen again?" Trump remarked, estimating that rebuilding the nation would require a quarter of a century. "I think it'll take them 25 years to rebuild the country."
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Before the midterms he had warned that American forces had yet to begin "destroying what's left" of Iran, keeping additional energy infrastructure and bridges as targets.
Previously, during another phase of the conflict, he maintained that reaching a deal was only possible if the United States blew up the remainder of the nation and its leadership.
On October 8, when Trump stated that talks with Iran were productive and explicitly ruled out military action before the national ballot. "We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3," he noted at the time, while American media outlets reported that indirect negotiations were ongoing.
That commitment has since expired following the conclusion of the vote. Earlier reports had already suggested his hesitation to completely eliminate Iran's remaining military capacity due to the extensive duration required for national reconstruction.
Domestically, the ongoing war has created political friction for the administration, keeping fuel costs elevated and contributing to a decline in public approval ratings as the election approached.
Trump also said on Thursday said Iran could not do anything regarding its nuclear program without US approval. "They're not doing anything without our approval," he told reporters in the Oval Office in response to a question regarding a set of proposals made to Iran by mediators about the future of its nuclear program.
[With Reuters inputs]
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