Trump Signals Imminent Decision on Major Combat Operations Against Iran After Midterm Defeat

President Trump on November 5 issued an open threat to destroy what remains of Iran, saying he would rather not do so but signaling a decision was at hand. "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You will know soon enough," Trump said, adding that the U.S. is "locked and loaded" if it proceeds. He framed the choice as whether to "go further and certify it, so that it will never happen again," warning that rebuilding Iran afterward could take 25 years.

Two senior sources told Reuters that Trump is now inclined to order major combat operations, with one source explaining he "has nothing to lose politically now that the midterms are over." The sources said Trump had held off on renewed strikes at Republicans' request during the campaign, in which the Iran war contributed to the GOP losing control of Congress. The U.S. military has been finishing preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had upcoming travel put on hold, a sign cited by multiple officials as consistent with an imminent military decision.

Earlier in the day, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, was seen arriving at the White House West Wing, a visit widely interpreted as tied to deliberations over Iran. Iran separately sent a nuclear proposal to Washington via Qatar, but a senior Iranian official said it would only be discussed once the U.S. meets seven specific conditions. Trump said Iran is "not doing anything without U.S. approval" and that he had "a lot of things cooking" over the next one to two weeks.

Separately, U.S. lawmakers are moving to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth as soon as next week, with momentum building after the Iran war he championed contributed to the Republican midterm defeat. Trump also commented on Russia and Ukraine, saying a major agreement involving all of Europe was forthcoming.