Europe Today: Trump weighs Iran strikes as Ukraine talks head to Abu Dhabi

President Donald Trump hinted on Thursday that the United States might resume military action in Iran, despite recent setbacks that have hurt his Republican Party in the midterm elections. During a meeting with his national security advisers, Trump acknowledged that Iran would take more than two decades to rebuild and expressed a willingness to destroy any remaining structures in the country.

He also noted the existence of detailed plans for renewed strikes on Iran, which were reportedly drawn up by American and Israeli militaries following the US midterm elections on November 3.

However, Trump expressed doubts about renewing attacks on Iran after the midterms, stating that he was not considering striking Iran at that time. On Monday, he had initially raised doubts about whether he would follow through on the plan, but later clarified that the US military was ready for any necessary action. During an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, Trump reiterated that the US had no immediate plan to renew strikes against Iran.

In a separate interview on Wednesday, Trump admitted that the war in Iran had negatively impacted the Republican Party, primarily due to a short-term rise in fuel prices. Despite this, he reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, stating that this was the only viable solution in the long run. Trump also defended his decision to go to war, noting that he had underestimated the impact on oil prices and believed the war was necessary for national security.