Trump threatens to destroy what's left of Iran after midterms

United States President Donald Trump said overnight that a decision on renewed strikes against Iran is expected soon. "Now we're going to make a decision regarding Iran. Do we want to go further and ensure this never happens again," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump stressed that the US military is ready to resume the offensive at any time, but expressed hope it won't be necessary. "I would prefer not to destroy what's left of the country, if possible, but I may have to do it. You'll know very soon," he said.

The president repeated his commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, claiming the regime in Tehran is subject to Washington's decisions. "They don't do anything without our approval. Remember what I told you: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. They don't do anything without our approval," he declared.

Addressing the security situation, Trump rejected comparisons between the confrontation with Iran and the war between Russia and Ukraine. "Nobody's been killed in about seven months, six months. And you know, if you look at Russia and Ukraine, that's a war. Twenty-five thousand people are killed a month. That's a war. Iran? No," he insisted.

The president's remarks came two days after the US midterm elections, in which the Republican Party lost control of both houses of Congress to the Democrats. Trump publicly acknowledged that the war with Iran is the main reason for the punishment Republicans received at the polls.

He hinted that the administration is planning additional steps in the near term, but did not detail their nature. "We're going to do a lot of things. You're going to see a lot of things over the next week or two weeks. We have a lot of things in the pipeline," he said.

The Situation Room at the White House (Photo: The White House)

Against the backdrop of discussions in Washington, reports intensified this week about the possibility of using the B61-11 giant nuclear bomb, the only weapon in the American arsenal identified as having the potential to destroy Iran's nuclear facility carved 100 meters deep into rock.

However, the new Democratic control of Congress may make it harder for the administration to continue the military campaign. Democrats have already announced they intend to use Congress's oversight powers to launch a series of investigations into the Trump administration.