Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced in a recent interview with "Time" magazine that military attacks against Iran may escalate after the midterm elections. In response to the question of whether such an action is under consideration, he said: "It may be" and emphasized that the U.S. has significantly increased its military stockpiles over the past six months.
Continuation of War and Its Reasons
Trump also explained in this interview why the war with Iran has entered its seventh month, contrary to his initial assessment. He stated that he initially intended to conclude operations in a short time, but after the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, he decided to continue the operations. He clarified: "I could have stopped right there, but I decided to continue because I didn't want Iran to resume its activities in another form after a while."
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The President of the United States further claimed that U.S. attacks have severely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities, navy, air force, and radar systems. He also claimed that 159 Iranian vessels have sunk to the bottom of the sea. Trump, referring to economic movements, stated that currently more ships and larger volumes of oil are passing through the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that a historical record for oil passage through this strait has been set.
Ceasefire Proposal and Trump's Perspective
One of the most important parts of the interview was Trump's statements about Iran's ceasefire proposal. He confirmed that he rejected this proposal and explained that Iran's offer to open the Strait of Hormuz is "not enough." He added: "It was 'almost' enough, but not completely.
Trump also stated that Washington seeks "a real agreement" and not an agreement that allows Iran to rebuild its military and nuclear capabilities after a while. In another part of the interview, in response to a reminder of his recent remarks that he might "wipe out" Iran, he said: "Yes, I will do that. It may happen."
When a reporter asked him how a president who calls himself the "President of Peace" can talk about the destruction of a country, Trump explained that in his view, by destroying Iran, "peace in the world" will be created and peace with Iran will not be possible in another way.
Subsequently, the reporter reminded Trump whether he regrets not taking military action during the protests in Iran in December. Trump answered negatively, stating that the U.S. also did "extraordinary things" at that time, although he did not specify the details of these actions.
The Time interview was published while the U.S. war with Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remain at the center of Trump's foreign policy. At the end of the interview, emphasizing that airstrikes may escalate after the U.S. midterm elections, he said: "It may be." He also added that he cannot explain the potential locations of attacks, but stressed that the U.S. has plenty of weapons, which will be kept for use by the U.S. and also to assist its allies.
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