Trump rejects plans to expand Iran war after midterm losses

Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he does not intend to escalate the conflict with Iran, a position he framed as a response to voter dissatisfaction following the midterm elections. In his first televised interview since the vote, the president told CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat that he sees no reason to expand military operations now that his party has lost its majority in Congress.

Trump attributed the electoral defeat to public frustration over the war and the subsequent increase in gasoline prices. He noted that there was considerable resentment toward Israel, which launched the offensive alongside the United States. "I am not looking for (escalating the war). I do not believe that there is any reason (to do that)," he said during the segment, which aired on the program 60 Minutes.

The president acknowledged that the conflict weighed on the Republican ticket. He maintained that he remains aligned with Vice President JD Vance, who recently posted on social media that the war was the reason for the GOP's losses. Trump said he would make the same decision again because preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is the priority. "My answer is an emphatic yes (I would do it again) because you cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he argued.

While Trump expressed confidence in the long-term strategic value of the intervention, he conceded that the short-term economic costs are high. He suggested that while the decision may not be good for the immediate future, it will be viewed positively in historical context.

Diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities have faced obstacles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that negotiations with Iran have not been productive because Tehran is making demands that Washington finds unacceptable. Rubio spoke to the press shortly before the Trump interview aired.

Earlier in the day, Trump told CNN that it is very unlikely the United States will resume large-scale attacks if progress is made on the nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The war has entered a stalemate eight months after the initial US and Israeli offensive began, with no major military operations or breakthroughs in peace talks.

Iran continues to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil transport. The persistence of these attacks underscores the ongoing disruption to energy markets even as both sides claim to be engaged in diplomatic channels.