Trump Says He Does Not Regret Iran War as Allies Blame Conflict for Republican Midterm Losses – WSJ

WASHINGTON, Nov 4: US President Donald Trump has said he does not regret launching the war against Iran earlier this year, even as he acknowledged that the conflict contributed to Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The remarks came as people close to Trump and Republican allies increasingly blamed the eight-month conflict with Iran, along with rising energy prices, for the party's widespread election setbacks.

According to the WSJ, some officials and allies within Trump's circle believe the election results could have been significantly different had the war ended months earlier.

Despite the political fallout, Trump said he did not regret launching the war and indicated that he had no immediate plans to make personnel changes within his administration. He also expressed support for War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the newspaper reported.

The reports said that officials inside the administration had nevertheless begun assigning blame following the Republican losses, with some suggesting that Trump could eventually consider changes to his team as part of a broader reckoning over the handling of the war.

Some within Trump's circle reportedly viewed the conflict as misguided and believed that its prolonged duration had become a significant political burden for the administration.

Trump has also been told by advisers both inside and outside the administration that his presidential legacy will be closely tied to the war against Iran, which he launched alongside Israel in February, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The president had previously argued that higher gasoline prices were worth the cost of dismantling Iran's nuclear program.

However, advisers have reportedly warned that Trump faces a potentially serious political and strategic problem if he fails to persuade Iran to end its nuclear program.

According to the report, some advisers believe Trump would have paid a heavy political price for the war while losing influence if the conflict ultimately failed to achieve its central objective of ending Iran's nuclear activities.

The latest developments highlight growing divisions within Trump's political circle following the midterm election results, as allies debate whether the Iran war and its impact on energy prices contributed significantly to the Republican defeat.

Trump, however, has so far publicly stood by his decision to launch the conflict and has shown no indication that he regrets the war despite its political consequences.