Washington: US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran drove up petrol prices and affected the Republican Party’s electoral performance, but said he would not change his decision to launch military operations.
Defending the conflict as necessary for national security, Trump reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. He claimed that Iran’s navy, air force and air defence systems had suffered significant damage.
Trump said he had anticipated the political fallout of the conflict but remained convinced that the military action was necessary. He also expressed confidence that Republicans would have performed better if his name had been on the ballot.
The president said he was willing to work with Democrats after the elections but warned that cooperation would be difficult if they adopted what he called a destructive approach.
