'War costs are pocket change': Trump defends Iran campaign on eve of midterms

US President Donald Trump, on the eve of the midterm elections, said the cost of the Iran war was "pocket change" compared with the wealth the United States has generated — directly pushing back against criticism of the conflict. The remarks came as soaring oil prices tied to the war and the resulting strain on living costs have emerged as liabilities for Republicans heading into the vote, and appeared aimed at rallying his base.

In a phone interview with Fox News on Monday (local time), the night before Election Day, Trump doubled down on the justification for launching the war against Iran.

He criticized the nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — reached between the United States and Iran under former President Barack Obama, calling it "a path for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons."

Trump said that while the US economy had been booming when he ordered military action against Iran, preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons had made intervention necessary.

"I told my advisers we need to make a small detour — take a short trip to Iran," he said. "We could not leave Iran, an evil nation, alone."

He went on to say, "We cannot allow them to have nuclear weapons, and we never will."

Trump sought to minimize the financial burden of the war by comparing its costs with America's broader economic gains.

He claimed the US had created $25 trillion in wealth since his second administration took office on Jan. 20 last year, saying, "Compared to the money we've made, this — the cost of the Iran war — is pocket change."

Trump also said he had reached a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland to expand the US military presence there, describing the outcome as having "gotten Greenland" and claiming it was worth $5 trillion.

The comments came amid growing public frustration with the administration as a sharp rise in oil prices stemming from the Iran war has pushed up the cost of living across the United States.

With high inflation and a prolonged conflict emerging as central issues ahead of the midterms, Trump appeared intent on emphasizing the necessity of the war to quiet his critics.

Trump also sought to play down the scale of the conflict, saying there was no full-scale armed confrontation with Iran at present.

"We're just talking. This is not a war. This is a 'soft war,'" he said.

However, he left open the possibility of further military action.

Referring to Gokkaengisan — a mountain suspected of housing a secret Iranian nuclear facility — Trump said, "We may have to go there now, but it's no big deal. We can do it in an hour."

The remark was widely read as a signal that Trump is prepared to apply military pressure if negotiations with Iran stall.

Trump also said the midterm elections were in effect a referendum on his own leadership.

"In a way, it's almost as if I'm actually the candidate," he said, "because if Republicans lose, everything we've accomplished gets wiped out."

He then urged Republican supporters to vote, saying, "If our people vote, we are going to win by a landslide."

With the Iran war and high prices dominating the midterm debate, Trump made a final push to win over voters by stressing both the inevitability of the conflict and his administration's economic record.