President Trump said on Thursday that he may have to “destroy the entire country” of Iran as he continues to make threats against the Islamic Republic following the Republican Party’s major defeat in the midterm elections, which was seen as a referendum on the war.
“Now we’ll make a decision: Do we want to go further and just certify it, by certifying it meaning it will never happen again?” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I would rather not destroy the rest of the country, if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. And you’ll know soon enough.”
The threat came after the US president and Vice President JD Vance said that the war was a major factor in the midterm results, but Trump has continued to defend his decision to launch the war. Reuters cited two unnamed sources on Thursday who told the outlet that the president is still planning to restart the bombing campaign against Iran despite the acknowledgment.
“He is planning to bomb Iran. Don’t listen to what he’s saying. He held off because of the midterms. We asked him to hold off until the midterms,” one of the sources said.
In the meantime, Iran continues to strike tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming on Thursday that three more “intruding vessels” have “exploded” in the waterway. The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations said at least five ships have been struck since Sunday, but it recently said it was difficult to ascertain the true number of attacks because many ships refused to report them.
Reuters also reported on Thursday that Tehran sent a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatari mediators, but said it would only discuss it after the US meets Iran’s seven conditions, which has been its position all along. Those conditions include ending the US blockade of Iran, providing sanctions relief, and releasing frozen Iranian funds.
