Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said a decision on whether to intensify the campaign against Tehran would become clear soon. His remarks combined an apparent reluctance to escalate with another warning that Iran could face devastating attacks.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country, if possible, but maybe I’ll have to,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Trump said the United States was considering whether to go further to ensure Iran could not again develop capabilities Washington regards as threatening. He described the possible objective as making certain that the confrontation would never recur, without identifying specific military targets or announcing an operational decision.
The president estimated that Iran would need 25 years to rebuild following the damage inflicted during the conflict. That assessment was his own projection, and he provided no supporting reconstruction figures.
His comments followed Tuesday’s congressional elections, which delivered control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to Democrats. The outcome has intensified scrutiny of the administration’s conduct of the war and its economic consequences for American households.
Trump acknowledged after the vote that the Iran conflict had contributed to Republican defeats. He nevertheless defended his decision to launch military operations, maintaining that he had acted correctly and would make the same choice again.
The shift in emphasis is notable because Trump had previously threatened extensive attacks on remaining Iranian infrastructure, including energy facilities and bridges. His latest language left open the possibility of further strikes while emphasising that he would prefer to avoid destroying more of the country.
The president’s remarks also coincided with diplomatic contacts concerning Iran’s nuclear programme. Qatar has been involved in conveying proposals between Washington and Tehran, although the parties have not announced an agreement or a timetable for formal negotiations.
An Iranian official indicated that Tehran had submitted a nuclear proposal through Qatar but would discuss it only after Washington addressed seven Iranian demands. Those conditions include sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets, compensation for wartime damage and an end to the American naval blockade.
Other demands concern the withdrawal of US forces from the region, a permanent end to hostilities involving Iran and its allies, and assurances against further threats. There was no confirmation that Washington had accepted those conditions.
Asked about Iranian consideration of proposals, Trump insisted that Tehran could not proceed without American approval. “They’re not doing anything without our approval,” he said, adding that Iran would not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon.
The claim underscored the gulf between Washington’s stated insistence on controlling Iran’s nuclear activities and Tehran’s demand for guarantees before negotiations can advance. Neither government has publicly established a mutually accepted framework for resolving the dispute.
The conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks in February, has become a significant domestic political issue. Democratic candidates criticised the administration over rising fuel costs and the broader economic burden associated with the fighting, while the White House maintained that military action was necessary to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the campaign on Thursday, describing it as a historic effort to prevent Iranian nuclear armament. Facing political criticism, he also urged lawmakers to support a $1.5 trillion defence funding request covering the Iran war and other Pentagon priorities.
Hegseth rejected efforts to remove him from office, while Trump publicly backed his performance. The president said the defence secretary had done a fantastic job, despite questions about whether the administration might change its senior national security team after the election setback.
Trump had earlier said American forces were prepared to resume operations if necessary, while also indicating that no immediate attack was planned. Those statements, alongside his latest warning, have left the timing and scope of any additional campaign undefined.
The administration has not disclosed any new diplomatic concessions. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf welcomed the American election result, interpreting the Republican defeat as opposition to the war. His remarks reflected Tehran’s political reading of the vote rather than an official American policy change.
