Trump says he doesn't regret terrorist war on Iran as blowback widens

US President Donald Trump says he does not regret waging a terrorist aggression against Iran, even as soaring fuel prices and growing concerns over his “war of choice” threaten his Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections.

“I don't believe in the word 'regret.' ‌You can always question yourself a little bit,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. “If I had it do again, I would do exactly ⁠as I did.”

Trump also denied reports and polls that show even some of his supporters have become upset or demoralized by the war.

He reiterated his claim that the war will end immediately after the midterm elections. “It ends right after the election,” Trump said.

The remarks come as the illegal US-Israeli aggression against Iran since February 28 is also affecting American public with soaring fuel prices and costs of living.

With Trump's approval ratings languishing in the low 30s, the White House has sought to shore up Republican support ahead of November.

Speaking at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, Trump pledged a $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress. Trump’s pledge has been condemned as “illegal” by Democrats who say the US president seeks to “bribe” voters.

He called it the “Trump dividend,” but offered no clear explanation for how such a program would be funded. The proposal could theoretically cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion.

Trump said only that “our country is making so much money.”

US lawmakers have sharply criticized the president over the war and its impact on American consumers.

“They can lie and call it whatever they want but the American people know the truth,” Senator Chuck Schumer said on X. 

|Donald Trump got us into an endless WAR that has caused skyrocketing prices at home while putting our servicemembers in danger abroad.”

“We must end this war immediately,” Schumer added.

Senator Alex Padilla also wrote on X: “Gas prices skyrocket over Labor Day weekend.”

“Trump’s war with Iran sends oil prices soaring. Oil companies rake in the profits. And we pay more at the pump. It’s corrupt,” Padilla said.

Oil markets face mounting pressure

Fears that escalating US military adventurism in West Asia could disrupt energy supplies briefly pushed oil above $110 a barrel on Friday.

US diesel prices also climbed above $6 a gallon. The average price reached $6.06, according to AAA, marking a 60 percent increase since February 28.

The disruption has been closely linked to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively blocked hostile ships from passing through the strategic waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world's crude oil normally flows.

Private concerns contrast with Trump’s public message

Trump’s insistence that the war will end soon contrasts with private concerns inside his administration.

A Wall Street Journal report said senior White House advisers have privately raised with Trump the possibility that the Iran war could continue through the remainder of his term, according to US officials.

The New York Times also reported that Vice President JD Vance, who opposed the war from the outset, directly contacted US military commanders in West Asia, Europe and Asia to seek their assessments of the war.

The conversations examined the war’s objectives and tactics, casualty estimates, Iran’s potential actions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the degree of Iran’s resilience in the face of pressures and attacks.

The commanders also raised serious concerns about depleted US weapons stocks. The Times reported that their supplies of critical munitions had fallen to their lowest levels they had ever seen, with particular concern over depleted Patriot interceptors and other missile systems.

“Vance came away from some of his conversations with deep concerns about the overall strategy and the prospects for success,” the newspaper reported.

The United States and Israel launched their war of aggression against Iran on February 28. Forty days later, on April 8, they accepted a ceasefire amid Iran’s resistance, retaliatory operations and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, Washington launched further air raids and imposed a naval blockade on Iran despite a June 17 memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.

Iran responded with strikes against strategic US targets across West Asia and imposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s refusal to express regret over the war comes as its economic consequences increasingly reach American consumers and its political costs loom over the midterm elections.

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