WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would “rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to,” warning Iran that “you’ll know soon enough” as his administration weighs whether to restart major strikes, strike a deal, or keep tightening the economic squeeze.

The remarks, delivered to reporters in the Oval Office two days after Republicans lost the midterm elections, came amid conflicting signals from the White House, a shaky truce, and a Qatari-mediated diplomatic track that both sides are reportedly reviewing.

“You’ll Know Soon Enough”

According to the Times of Israel, Trump told reporters that Iran was “not doing anything without our approval” and claimed the United States controls whatever it wants inside the country. He said rebuilding would take Iran 25 years. Gulf News, citing Axios, reported that Trump made the comments late Thursday after meeting his national security team, the first Iran-focused meeting since the midterms, according to two U.S. officials.

Trump said the administration would decide whether to “go further” to ensure Iran’s nuclear program can never be revived, and Gulf News reported he acknowledged that 18 U.S. service members have died in the conflict. Options on the table, according to the reporting, include more strikes, continued economic pressure, or a deal.

Mixed Messages From the Oval Office

The president has sent contradictory signals in recent interviews. Gulf News reported that he told the Financial Times there were no immediate plans for another major attack, adding, “we’re locked and loaded if we need to go.” He told Politico the decision to launch the war was correct. He also acknowledged the conflict’s political cost: he told the Wall Street Journal the war was “a piece” of the election result, and told Fox News, “I think it’s a gasoline price.”

Vance has gone further, saying the war was a reason for the Republican losses and asking whether the conflict was worth it. Analysts quoted by Iran International say Trump may intensify operations before the new Congress convenes in January, when Democrats will have far greater power to investigate and constrain the war effort.

A War Without a Clear Endpoint

The war began February 28. Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a shaky truce took hold in April, and the United States then launched a blockade of Iranian ports. Skirmishes over the strait have continued. The Times of Israel reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines on unauthorized routes.

On the diplomatic front, both Washington and Tehran are reviewing Qatari-mediated proposals on Iran’s nuclear program, according to The New York Times, which cited five officials, and a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters. Iran says it will discuss the proposal only after the United States meets seven demands first presented in August. They include compensation, unfreezing assets, lifting sanctions, ending the naval blockade, withdrawing troops, ending the war with Iran and its allies, and a pledge never to threaten Iran again. Few of those are likely to be acceptable to the White House.

Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim, spoke with Trump and urged against further escalation, protection of freedom of navigation in Hormuz, and secure energy supplies. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also discussed regional stability with his UAE counterpart. Russia is watching closely: Vladimir Putin hosted Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin Thursday and stressed what he called the inadmissibility of interference by outside powers.

Hegseth Under Fire

The Pentagon chief is at the center of the political storm. According to the Times of Israel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the war in a nearly six-minute video, calling it a “historic” effort and vowing to fight possible impeachment efforts, which he labeled a “sham.” He also asked Congress to pass a $1.5 trillion funding request. Trump said Hegseth “has done a fantastic job” and that he is standing by him, and the Pentagon said Hegseth is “100 percent committed” through the end of Trump’s term. Yet one Trump adviser said Hegseth “could be on the chopping block.” Trump suggested the opposition stems from Hegseth’s firing of generals.

What It Means for Americans

For American households, the stakes are concrete. Voters, the Times of Israel noted, were “enraged by gas price hikes,” and anything that disrupts Gulf energy flows risks pushing prices higher again. A renewed air campaign would also revive questions about cost and casualties just as the political ground shifts in Washington.

The war has already cost the lives of 18 service members, by the president’s own account, and the administration has not offered a clear definition of victory. With the midterms over, the pressure that may have restrained escalation before November has changed, but so has the balance of power on Capitol Hill. Democrats take control of Congress in January and have signaled they will use that power to scrutinize the war and its funding.

Trump’s phrase, “you’ll know soon enough,” offers no timeline. Whether it signals a coming strike, a negotiating tactic, or simply rhetoric, markets, allies and adversaries will be watching the Oval Office closely in the coming days. USA Herald will continue to follow the diplomacy, the military posture in the Gulf and the political fight over the Pentagon’s leadership.

Reporting based on accounts from the Times of Israel, Gulf News and Axios as cited therein.

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• Is Pete Hegseth Out? Trump Reportedly Asked Advisers Whether the Defense Secretary Should Stay as Democrats Prepare Subpoenas After Midterm Sweep
• “The Reason We Lost Is the War”: Vance Blames Iran Conflict for Republican Midterm Wipeout as Trump Insists “If I Was on the Ballot, We Would Have Won”
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Related USA Herald coverage

• Pentagon Has Iran Strike Plans Ready Now That the Midterms Are Over: Third Carrier, 10,000 More Troops and a Warning of “Another Round of Fighting”
• Is Pete Hegseth Out? Trump Reportedly Asked Advisers Whether the Defense Secretary Should Stay as Democrats Prepare Subpoenas After Midterm Sweep
• “The Reason We Lost Is the War”: Vance Blames Iran Conflict for Republican Midterm Wipeout as Trump Insists “If I Was on the Ballot, We Would Have Won”
• Pentagon Tells Congress Iran War Has Cost at Least $47 Billion as Burning Tankers and Mines Choke the Strait of Hormuz