Trump Answers ‘No’ When Asked About Striking Iran Again After Midterms
NBC’s Garrett Haake says Trump answered “No” when asked about striking Iran again after the midterms. Earlier Monday, Trump told Axios the U.S. will “do something,” though “there is no rush.” Qatari mediators head to Tehran.
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The question came as Trump was walking away from his closing midterm event at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on Monday, a day before voters go to the polls. Haake says Trump took no questions from reporters.
The reply contrasts with what Trump told Axios the same day: “One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush.”
A Shouted Question
Haake, NBC’s chief White House correspondent, described the exchange on X: “The President took no questions- as he was walking off I shouted to ask if he was considering striking Iran again after the midterms and he looked at me & responded ‘No.’”
The answer rests on Haake’s account of a shouted exchange, not a formal statement. No video or audio of it was immediately available.
A Different Message to Axios
In a phone interview with Axios earlier on Monday, Trump struck a different note. He said the U.S. had crippled Iran financially, leaving it without money or gasoline, and that its people were growing tired.
Talks with Tehran were “going fine,” he told the outlet.
Trump also told Israel’s Channel 12 that he was in no rush and that the U.S. was paralyzing Iran’s economy. He said negotiations were progressing well, but that Washington was unsure who was making the decisions in Tehran.
What He Said on Stage
Trump spoke about Iran during the Reflecting Pool event, according to Clash Report video clips. “We had a war with Iran. We won.”
He said Iran wanted a deal. “They want to make a deal, and that could happen.”
Trump also claimed Iran had asked the U.S. to stop killing its leaders. “Iran asked us, ‘Please stop killing our leaders,’ and we will.”
Pressure From Netanyahu
Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump in a phone call to strike Iran after the midterms. The Associated Press, citing regional officials, said Netanyahu is pushing for another wave of strikes once Tuesday’s election is over.
AP added that Trump does not appear to have made a decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday: “He hasn’t made a decision … He’d prefer to solve it diplomatically.”
Diplomacy Continues
Reuters reported that Qatari mediators were traveling to Tehran late Monday to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and discuss a draft deal. Araghchi has said Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz are feasible if the U.S. shows goodwill.
Qatar and Pakistan are mediating between the two sides.
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