US President Donald Trump has reiterated his assertion that the war in Iran will end “whenever I want it to”, but insists Tehran cannot possess nuclear weapons.
Speaking at a rally in Lubbock, Texas, Trump said: “Someone once asked me, ‘When will the war in Iran end?’ “I said, ‘Every time I want it to end.'”
Trump said it “would be very quick, but we have to end it properly.”,” with a “total declaration” that Iran would never possess nuclear weapons.
His statement comes as the president grapples with near-record poll numbers due to rising energy costs and affordability concerns, as the United States heads toward the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Currently, Trump’s approval rating stands at 32%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said Oct. 12 that the war has cost American families an average of $2,000 so far, with $1,100 coming from higher energy costs, $540 from the costs of higher interest rates and $360 from increased military spending.
The Iranian conflict shows no signs of slowing down, with Trump saying he will soon decide whether to “make a deal” with Iran or “get it over with.”
Earlier this month, the United States evacuated diplomats from Saudi Arabia, with the New York Times reporting that the U.S. and Israeli militaries had made specific plans for a “short but intensive” strike operation against Iran after the midterm elections.
An October 16 U.S. Central Command estimate, according to a report by The Hill, also found that the cost of the war in Iran has soared to $47 billion, about $3 billion more than previous figures.
The majority of the costs would have gone to replacing the ammunition, amounting to $29 million. The conflict between Washington and Iran has caused a “shortage” of US munitions, although Trump claimed on September 3 that the US had “virtually unlimited” quantities of munitions.
The enormous cost of the war does not include the costs of damaged military bases in the Middle East, which were estimated at $184 million as of June 29, according to a principal inspector general’s report to Congress.
This figure takes into account damage to American diplomatic facilities in four countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. — Iranian strikes.
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