U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he no longer sees a deal with Iran as necessary, and while many have interpreted his recent comments as an indication that he believes the war is won and that the U.S. can largely retreat while maintaining its blockade, comments made to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt suggest otherwise.
The president, during a Thursday, November 12, interview, said that the war against Iran would be a defeat for the United States if the Islamic Republic remains in power when he leaves office.
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A formation of 4th generation fighter jets from the 40th Flight Test Squadron flies near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla, Jan. 31, 2022. The 40th FLTS executes developmental flight tests for fourth generation fighter aircraft to include the A-10, F-15 and F-16. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven)
The president also warned that he could still order new military strikes against Iran — immediately, if necessary — and confirmed that he would also consider a direct military intervention in Cuba before he leaves office.
Speaking to Hewitt, Trump insisted that the regime in Tehran is collapsing under the weight of American economic sanctions, and that the blockade will continue.
Still, he made clear that further military action is not out of the question.
The comments come as the Trump administration appears to be abandoning its diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war, with President Trump instructing Vice President JD Vance to focus his attention on tackling fraud in Democratic states, rather than continuing to communicate with Iranian officials in the hopes of bringing the conflict to an end.
Trump Says Regime Survival Would Constitute Defeat
Toward the end of his interview, Hewitt asked the president whether he would consider it a personal defeat if the Iranian regime remained in power by the end of his second term in January 2029.
“Yes, that would be a defeat. Yep. I would say that would be a defeat. Absolutely,” Trump said.
The admission changes the context of what Trump has said in recent days about no longer needing a deal with Iran.
Many observers and analysts have interpreted the comments as the president being content with maintaining the naval blockade against Iran, and that whatever happens domestically, happens.
However, the president’s comment suggests that his ultimate goal is to ensure that the regime is removed and replaced — which makes sense in light of his other suggestion that he is still willing to launch new strikes against Iran, even after suggesting in recent days that he no longer sees strikes as necessary.
The president stopped short of formally announcing that regime change is an American military objective.
Still, for a leader who cares about his image and legacy, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which leaving the regime in place is acceptable. And that could mean more action over the next two years.
New Strikes Could Happen Immediately
During the interview, Hewitt also asked the president whether he would hesitate to use military force to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten American allies and commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“No. No hesitation. Uh, we’re doing very well with it right now. You know, we have the, we have the, we’re taking out more oil now than we did before the, if you call it a war, before the war started,” Trump said. “We’re taking out more oil. And, you know, think about the war. We’ve been fighting, you know, pretty, at a pretty rapid clip for three weeks, not seven months, but three weeks.”
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The president added that no service members have been killed in the last five months.
“You know, in Russia, they’re losing 25,000 people a month between Russia and Ukraine, mostly soldiers. We haven’t lost a soldier in five months, and we control the Gulf. We won Venezuela, and we control the Gulf in terms of the Hormuz Strait. We control it, totally control it. Uh, but the answer is, if I saw things going the other way, I would, I would do that.”
He then went on to say, “It’s possible I would do it right now.”
The comments come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on November 10 that sanctions and the blockade were achieving U.S. objectives without initiating new combat operations.
Military Action Against Cuba?
The president also went on to suggest he may be willing to launch new military action, this time against Cuba.
“I wanna get Cuba done before I leave you,” he said. “And we have a very good, talented guy for Cuba named Marco.”
He described the state as “failed” and said that the United States is “watching it.”
“I would like to be able to do it. Um, I won the Cuban vote by 94% in Florida, and, uh, I think I’m more popular now than I was then. And, uh, frankly, I’d love to be able to do it for the people, for the Cubans that came and were treated really badly and they came to America.”
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
