President Donald Trump speaks on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on September 9, 2026. Alex Wong | Getty ImagesUSA President Donald Trump said he has no regrets about starting the war against Iran, adding that “if I had it to do over again, I would do exactly what I did.” Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Thursday in the United States, Trump said he would have attacked Iran despite the impact on the midterm elections. “If we hadn’t taken down Iran, we would be moving toward victory in the midterms right now,” Ingraham told Trump, to which Trump responded, “Suppose we were moving forward and all of a sudden Iran has a nuclear weapon. They would use it.” He added that if Iran had a nuclear weapon, the Islamic Republic would “wipe out” Israel and the Middle East, and begin attacking American cities. His comments come as markets prepare for a longer war against Iran, after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that top White House advisers had discussed with Trump the possibility that the war against Iran could extend beyond his current term. Trump has said the war will end immediately after the midterm elections and that oil and gas prices will also fall, adding to his months-long claims that the conflict will end soon. In separate comments to NewsNation on Thursday, Trump denied reports that there was any damage to US assets, after Iran claimed it had damaged several US warplanes at a base in Jordan. “No harm. Nothing at all,” Trump said, when asked if there was any truth to the reports. Economic pressure Washington continues its efforts to isolate Iran from its economic network, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing sanctions against “a big bank” next week. “We will do it on Monday because we want to honor the memory of our citizens who fell on 9/11. But watch this space on Monday.” Bessent said the administration sanctioned and closed the Dubai branches of Egypt’s second-largest bank, alleging that the bank had given Iran $1.8 billion. The “largest Turkish bank” that had been giving to the Iranians was also sanctioned, although Bessent did not specify which bank it was. Trump, in the NewsNation interview, was also asked how Iran could continue to hold out under the current economic pressure. “I don’t know if they can hold out,” Trump said. “But it will be resolved after the election. Or maybe before. But it will be resolved immediately after the election.”
