Trump defends Iran war after midterm losses
President Trump accepted his party's midterm defeat and acknowledged that the Iran war and high gas prices played a role, but said the war had to be fought.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended the war with Iran even as he acknowledged it contributed to his party's heavy losses in the midterm elections.
Trump said voters had been frustrated by the jump in gasoline prices that followed the conflict, which is now more than eight months old. But he insisted the war was necessary and said the United States would continue with it.
The president said he accepted the election results, after Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. In his first public appearance after the vote, he showed reporters the ballroom being built at the White House.
The war began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran without approval from Congress. Fighting and disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have choked supplies of oil and gas from the Gulf and driven up prices at the pump around the world.
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Qatar, have been under way. Some Gulf officials believe the election results give Trump more reason to seek a deal, while analysts say the outcome could also embolden Iran.
Democrats, who have voted repeatedly to end the fighting unless the president seeks authorization from Congress, are expected to press that effort when they take control in January.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.