Trump calls Iran conflict a 'soft war,' insists US holds the cards ahead of midterm elections
President Donald Trump sought to reassure voters the day before the midterm elections that Iran is not a "forever war," but a "soft war" that the United States could end at any time.
"We're not fighting a war … When was the last time we fired anything? This isn't a war, this is a very soft war," Trump said Monday on "Hannity."
Iran could be a key deciding issue as voters go to the polls on Election Day Tuesday as Americans continue to grapple with surging gas prices and the economic fallout from the United States’ conflict, which began eight months ago.
"What’s a war? A war is fighting. Take a look at World War I, World War II. When was the last time you saw us fighting with them? We go months and months, we talk," Trump told host Sean Hannity.
"This is not much of a war, Sean, because there hasn't been shooting for months."
Trump’s comments come shortly after the United States struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz Monday after Iran fired at a U.S. aircraft. Officials confirmed to Fox News that the "defensive" strike does not indicate a return to full-blown U.S. military strikes in Iran.
The president said Monday that he was in no hurry to resume military strikes against Iran but warned that the U.S. will give Iran "the hammer" soon if the latest round of peace talks are not fruitful.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN WILL BE HIT 'REALLY HARD' IF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE AGAIN
"With [Operation] Midnight Hammer, we bombed out all of their potential nuclear power. Now we have might have to go after Pickaxe [Mountain], but that's not a big deal. We can do it in literally one hour," Trump told Fox News.
"This isn't like a war that's going on, there’s no war raging," he added. "It could happen if they don't make a deal. But they want to make a deal very badly, and there is a very good chance we make a deal."
FOX NEWS POLL: 71% THINK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LACKS PLAN TO END IRAN WAR
The financial toll of the Iran conflict has emerged as a political liability for Republicans ahead of Election Day as the Pentagon estimates the war has cost taxpayers more than $47 billion.
President Trump, however, dismissed criticism of the staggering price tag, describing the expense as "peanuts" and saying that the war was necessary to disarm Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘DEAD’ — EXPERTS POINT TO THE REAL SIGN TEHRAN IS NEARING THE BRINK
"Their military is gone, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, and they have some missiles, but they don't have many of them – very little capacity to build more. They have drones, but they don't have very many, they have very little capacity to build more," he said.
"What we’ve done is amazing," the president continued.
Trump said the U.S. is dealing from a position of "total strength" and that the conflict can be ended "at any time."