Washington DC [US], November 2 (ANI): US President Donald Trump defended the American military action against Iran, saying Washington had acted to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while describing the rise in oil prices amid the ongoing conflict as a "very small price to pay" for national and global security.
Speaking at a rally in Iowa on Sunday, ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons was the reason behind the US military intervention.
"I stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
Explaining his decision to undertake military action, he said, "I said, 'let's make that journey into the Middle East because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'"
Addressing concerns over rising oil prices due to the conflict with Iran, Trump said the economic impact was justified by the security benefits of the military action.
"It's a very small price to pay for the security of this country and for the world," he said.
Trump also claimed that Iran had initiated the war and asserted that US military operations had significantly weakened its military capabilities.
"They started this war. We didn't start it. We're finishing it. We're beating the crap out of them. They have no navy. They had 159 ships. They had 268 aeroplanes. Their aeroplanes are scattered all over the runways of Iran," he said.
"They have no radar. They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. They have no leaders. That's my problem. We might have gone a little far with the leaders. There's nobody to talk to. I'm trying to find somebody to talk to," Trump added.
Trump's remarks come amid renewed discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv over the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran following the US midterm elections.
According to a report by Axios, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Trump to launch fresh military strikes against Iran immediately after Tuesday's midterm elections, amid concerns in Israel over Washington's continued pursuit of a diplomatic solution with Tehran.
Trump and Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday to discuss the progress of US negotiations with Iran and the possibility of resuming military operations. An Israeli source described the conversation as "tough", while a US source characterised it as "direct", Axios reported.
According to Axios, Netanyahu is pushing for renewed military action after the midterms, while Trump currently favours allowing negotiations with Tehran to continue.
The report said Trump is pursuing parallel diplomatic and military strategies, seeking an agreement to restart peace talks while keeping preparations underway for a possible resumption of major combat operations after the elections.
Trump told reporters on Saturday that negotiations with Iran were "going fine" and that he was not "in much of a hurry". However, he maintained that Washington still needed to address one or two nuclear sites in Iran, specifically referring to the suspected underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain.
The developments come as Trump campaigns ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress.
According to NBC News, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the Senate and three seats to secure a majority in the House of Representatives.
The NBC News polling average puts Trump's approval rating at 38 per cent, while 60 per cent disapprove of his performance. On congressional control, 52 per cent of Americans favour a Democrat-controlled Congress, compared with 44 per cent who prefer Republican control.
The elections are also unfolding amid concerns over the cost of living and the economic impact of the conflict, including rising oil prices, an issue Trump addressed during his Iowa rally. (ANI)
Trump says US struck Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons
