President Donald Trump said ramped up military strikes against Iran were “possible” after the November midterm elections, as his administration struggles to find an exit plan for a war now in its eighth month.
Trump has indicated in recent weeks that he believed Iran was stalling on diplomatic talks until after the elections, in which his Republican Party faces a tough path to retain control of Congress. The U.S. president rejected a recent proposal from Iran that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for U.S. concessions such as ending a blockade on Iranian ports or easing oil sanctions.
Asked if he would resume bombing Iran after the midterms, Trump told Time magazine in an interview published Thursday that it was “possible.”
“I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb,” he added, when pressed for more details.
Trump also downplayed concerns over U.S. munitions stockpiles, saying that the U.S. had “a lot of weapons,” including lower-grade weaponry.
“Some forms of ammunition are a little bit lower than other forms. We have that middle grade and upper middle grade, which is very powerful, which is stronger than it’s ever been before,” Trump said.
Polls show voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war, which has also brought a rise in energy prices further straining household budgets ahead of an election in which living costs are the dominant issue.
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