U.S. President Donald Trump said he would prefer not to destroy what remains of Iran if possible, but may have to, hinting that the decision would become clear soon. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday: "I think rebuilding the country will take 25 years. I would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country if possible, but I may have to. You will know soon enough."
Trump made the remarks while signing a proclamation designating the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as national landmarks, two days after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
Trump defended the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, saying: "I think it is going very well." He compared it with the war in Ukraine, saying that no one had been killed for about six or seven months, adding: "If you look at Russia and Ukraine, that is a war ... Iran, no." He also said of Iran: "They do nothing without our approval," without elaborating. Figures from the U.S. Department of Defense published by Stars and Stripes this week indicate that 11 U.S. soldiers were killed in combat and 12 in noncombat incidents, while more than 850 were wounded.
The remarks come amid reports that the U.S. and Israeli militaries are preparing plans for new strikes on Iran, while Iraqi authorities imposed mandatory air routes for aircraft flying over its airspace between November 7 and 11. Vice President J.D. Vance has blamed the war for the Republicans' losses in the midterm elections.