US President Donald Trump said Thursday that requests from Gulf allies had persuaded him to hold back from escalating attacks on Iran, while acknowledging that the war's economic effects contributed to Republican losses in the midterm elections. In an interview with commentator and political analyst Stephen A. Smith, Trump claimed American forces could destroy Iran's remaining critical infrastructure within three days.
Trump identified Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as countries that preferred giving the current approach more time. He said he was complying despite doubts about whether waiting was the right decision, and confirmed that he would otherwise have intensified the campaign. He also described Israel as among the countries Washington sought to protect, but did not say Israel had requested a delay.
The interview followed an apparent shift away from diplomacy earlier Thursday. Trump declared that Washington no longer needed an agreement with Tehran and directed Vice President JD Vance to focus instead on investigating corruption in Democratic-controlled states and cities. Vance, who had led diplomatic efforts with Iran, had reportedly connected the conflict to Republican electoral setbacks and explored renewed engagement with Tehran.
Describing potential military targets, Trump said most Iranian bridges had been spared, although one major bridge had been destroyed. He also said energy facilities had not been attacked and referred to surviving electricity and manufacturing capabilities. He claimed energy, bridges and manufacturing could each be eliminated in a single day. Trump additionally raised the possibility of bombing the nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain if activity there increased. He repeated claims that Iran had approached nuclear weapons capability and would use such weapons, without presenting new intelligence evidence.
Smith pressed the president on Republican losses, citing governorship defeats, substantial projected House losses and Democratic advances in state legislatures. Trump repeatedly responded that he had not been on the ballot. Smith countered that the president had encouraged Republican candidates to put him at the center of their campaigns.
Asked about the impact of the war, tariffs and rising living costs, Trump acknowledged multiple contributing factors. He suggested voters' objections to the conflict may have centered on higher gasoline and oil prices. While defending those costs as justified by his stated goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, he conceded the political difficulty. "But short term, I guess it is tougher politically. I knew that," he said.
Trump also faulted some Republican candidates, saying voters may not have liked them and that some had relied too heavily on his endorsement. He acknowledged that avoiding debates had been a mistake for some candidates and suggested his backing had led others to campaign less vigorously than they should have.
In a separate exchange about Iran's alleged assassination efforts against him, Trump acknowledged personal hostility toward certain opponents but denied that revenge explained the continuing war. He distinguished his feelings about Iran's leadership from his attitude toward its people.
Looking toward the final two years of his presidency, Trump anticipated frequent clashes with a Democratic-controlled Congress and said he expected to veto legislation. He nevertheless predicted that Democrats would eventually negotiate with the White House, identifying healthcare and prescription drug prices as possible areas for cooperation.
