President Donald Trump said additional U.S. bombing of Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections is “possible,” while defending the prolonged military campaign, rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal and saying the United States is replenishing its weapons stockpiles.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump left open the possibility of intensifying U.S. military strikes against Iran after the November midterm elections, saying Washington has spent the past six months rebuilding weapons inventories while the conflict with Tehran continues into its seventh month.
Trump made the comments during a Sept. 28 White House interview published Thursday by Time magazine. Asked directly whether the United States might ramp up bombing after the Nov. 3 elections, Trump answered, “Possible.” He declined to discuss potential targets or operational plans but added, “We have a lot of weapons. You know, we’ve been stocking up for the last six months.”
Trump acknowledged that some categories of U.S. ammunition are running below others but disputed broader reports of serious shortages. He said defense manufacturers are expanding production and building additional facilities for systems including Patriot and THAAD interceptors as the administration attempts to replenish stocks consumed during the Iran conflict and previous military assistance to Ukraine.
The president also defended his decision to extend the Iran campaign beyond the shorter timeline he discussed near the beginning of hostilities. Trump said he continued operations because he did not want Iran to “come back in some different form.”
“I’m in there now for six months, and I’ve destroyed their nuclear capability,” Trump said. “I’ve destroyed their navy; 159 ships are at the bottom of the sea. I’ve destroyed their air force. All their planes are gone. I’ve destroyed their radar.”
Those descriptions represent Trump’s assessment of the damage inflicted on Iran. Iran has not surrendered, and independent reporting has documented continuing Iranian military operations and preparations for possible renewed U.S. attacks. Reuters reported Thursday that Iranian commanders are preparing broader retaliation if Washington escalates again, even as Tehran continues pursuing diplomatic efforts.
Trump also asserted that U.S. forces have effectively taken control of the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruptions to one of the world’s most important oil-shipping corridors. Tehran had repeatedly threatened to close the passage, and fighting around the strait has disrupted shipping and contributed to higher global energy prices.
“There was always a threat they had and it worked for a little while,” Trump said. “But we basically closed it on them. You know, they said we’re going to close. I said, ‘Well, you close it, you’re going to have big trouble.’ We took it over.”
Trump said more barrels of oil had recently moved through the strait in a single night than at any previous point, though he did not provide supporting figures during the interview. Shipping through the region has remained volatile as U.S. and Iranian forces have attacked vessels during the conflict, including a September exchange Reuters described as the largest wave of attacks on shipping since the war began.
The president also defended recent language in which he threatened to “annihilate” Iran. Asked how such rhetoric was consistent with describing himself as a president seeking peace, Trump said, “By annihilating Iran, we’ve created peace in the world. With Iran, I don’t think you could ever have peace.”
Trump then accused Iran’s government of killing tens of thousands of protesters during recent domestic unrest. “They killed 75,000 people in the last number of months… It’s unbelievable. It’s a bloodbath,” he said. The president did not provide evidence for the figure during the interview, and casualty estimates surrounding Iranian unrest have varied widely.
The interview came as diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting remain stalled. Trump confirmed that he had rejected Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal, which Tehran delivered through Qatari intermediaries and which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader effort to halt hostilities. Reuters previously reported that the Iranian proposal sought an end to fighting and changes involving sanctions and shipping restrictions, while significant disagreements remained over sequencing and nuclear negotiations.
Asked why he rejected the offer, Trump replied, “Because things that I wouldn’t have approved a year ago, I wouldn’t have today.”
“They made an offer to open up the strait. You know, you saw some aspects of it, not all. But it’s just, it’s just, it’s not good enough. Nearly,” he added.
The remarks suggest the administration is continuing to pursue both military pressure and negotiations without committing publicly to either a ceasefire or another large escalation. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that additional U.S. strikes would produce a stronger response.
Trump also discussed Israel and the wider Middle East during the Time interview, including questions about Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Asked what he would do if Hamas remained armed, Trump said, “I think I’ll probably sit in the Situation Room and make an appropriate decision. My decisions are correct ones.”
He expressed skepticism about reports that Netanyahu had received warnings before the Oct. 7 attacks. “I heard that today for the first time,” Trump said, adding, “I don’t think so. I think, you know, I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it. Certainly, he would have had people at least alert.”
Trump strongly defended continued U.S. support for Israel while tying that assistance to his administration’s campaign against Iran. “Israel wouldn’t have been able to defend itself against that power if the United States wasn’t,” Trump said, before reiterating his opposition to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear power because they are crazy, and you can’t let crazy people have nuclear weapons,” he said.
Trump declined to endorse a particular outcome in Israeli politics when asked about former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as a potential alternative to Netanyahu. “Well, people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times. I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi,” Trump said.
The Iran conflict has become an increasingly consequential issue for the administration as the midterm elections approach. The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes in February, has lasted substantially longer than Trump initially suggested and has affected global energy markets, U.S. weapons inventories and the administration’s foreign-policy agenda. Reuters reported in August that the prolonged fighting had yet to produce an Iranian surrender and continued to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s latest remarks provide no commitment to escalate after Election Day, but they make clear that the option remains under consideration. With ceasefire negotiations stalled and both Washington and Tehran preparing for the possibility of further fighting, the president’s one-word answer — “Possible” — leaves the next phase of the seven-month conflict unresolved.
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