Trump says Iran war will continue as Tehran shows no retreat - CGTN

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

US President Donald Trump speaks to press inside the ballroom construction site at the White House in Washington, DC, US, November 4, 2026. /VCG

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ​Iran war has been worth it despite ‌acknowledging its role in losses in US midterm elections in which his Republican party lost control of Congress.

"The ​Iran thing we had to do, and ​we continue to do it," he told reporters.

Trump said ​he was okay with Vice President JD Vance's social media ‌post earlier on Wednesday in which Vance referred to deep electoral losses and said "the reason we lost is the war."

"I can tell you that as ​far as ​that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different," Trump said.

Iran has yet to respond publicly to Trump's latest remarks.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury on Wednesday issued fresh ​sanctions against companies and individuals based in ‌India and Türkiye for their ties to Iran, warning that it would continue to go ‌after anyone who ‌supported Iran.

The sanctions are ‌part of the Trump administration's "Operation Economic ‌Outcast," which aims to cut off Iran's ability to sell oil to fund the war with the ‌United States.

On the military front, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it had shot down a US MQ-1 drone over Qeshm Island, according to the Fars News Agency.

"With the destruction of this drone, the number of US MQ-1 drones destroyed has reached 15," the IRGC said, describing the tally as evidence of the "continued interception and confrontation by the country's air defense against American drones in our airspace."

Besides, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned that neither partisan changes in the United States nor concessions to Washington would end US hostility toward the Iranian nation.

"If there are still individuals who pin even the slightest hope on a shift in the US behavior, or partisan changes within the hegemonic system, or imagine that by granting concessions to the United States, they can dissuade it from its hostility toward the Iranian nation, they are gravely mistaken," Khamenei said in a message to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.

He said the only way to achieve a state of "absolute deterrence" is to continue to make Iran stronger, noting that "on this path, (national) solidarity and unity, and social cohesion serve as the fundamental pillars of success."

The supreme leader said that should the "acts of aggression" be repeated, Iran's fight will expand to encompass a much broader scope.

The anniversary also brought Iranians onto the streets across the country on Wednesday, as rallies were held in Tehran and around 900 other cities and villages, according to Iranian media. Participants included people from various walks of life, as well as government officials and military commanders.

In Tehran, the marchers strongly condemned the "flagrant US-Israeli aggression" against Iran and its sovereignty and people, and called for revenge for those killed during the war, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Addressing the rally, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz hinges on the US commitment to its obligations and implementation of practical measures.