President Donald Trump said it was “highly unlikely” to restart open war with Iran, but warned he could still strike the country as Washington tries to reach a deal with Tehran to end the conflict.
The war, which has now lasted more than eight months, has fueled inflation and sent oil The price surge has seen repeated fighting separated by ceasefires and peace talks for months. It has been widely speculated that Trump could reignite open conflict after the midterm elections, where his Republican Party lost heavily to the Democrats.
Trump’s comments came during an interview with CNN, where he said a resumption of war was unlikely as long as talks to limit Iran’s nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz progressed.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong deal,” Trump said. “It is very unlikely that the response will be necessary. This is a bankrupt nation.”
Trump, however, left the door open to additional strikes if he deems them necessary. The president reiterated his threats to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran if war resumes.
“I have three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They are fully locked and loaded,” the president said. “We have 38 bridges on our site that we can demolish in just an hour.”
Ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz would likely lower oil prices, although reaching a truce has proven difficult. All previous attempts to end the war and reopen the strait have been disappointed.
It is likely, however, that Trump will face increased pressure to end the conflict now that Democrats have taken control of the House and Senate. Some Republicans are also likely to be eager to end the war, given the role high gas prices played in their defeat at the polls.
The president called on Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz and agree to never develop nuclear weapons as part of a deal.
Later in the day, on Truth Social, Trump posted that “Task Force Iron Gate is in full force in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“On top of the largest naval blockade in history, very little is entering or leaving Iran!” he said.
Central Command announced Task Force Iron Gate on Saturday, describing it as an initiative to “prevent the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue flows across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.”
The United States has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports for months.
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