President Donald Trump repeatedly raised the war in Iran during the final days of the midterm campaign, even as polling cited in the report indicated that as many as two-thirds of voters disapproved of his handling of the eight-month conflict. The war has driven up prices and depleted U.S. ammunition stockpiles.
On Saturday, Trump told reporters that the United States still had “one or two sites” to deal with and said it could do so quickly. At a rally the next day, he said the conflict was not over because he wanted to avoid further loss of life. On Monday, he declared, “We had a war with Iran. We won.” Hours later, officials confirmed a U.S. military strike on Iran’s Qeshm Island, describing it as defensive and not expected to escalate.
Analysts cited in the report offered several possible explanations for Trump’s repeated comments. One was that he sought to push Iran toward a deal. Arta Moeini, managing director of the nonpartisan Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, said the threat of strikes could be intended to tell Iranian officials to return to negotiations or face consequences.
Sources: The New York Times World.