Trump defends Iran strikes: 'They would have had a nuclear weapon'

Asked in a WINK News interview whether he would have done anything differently over the past two years, President Donald Trump said he had to attack Iran to stop it from getting a nuclear weapon, and at a Fort Myers rally he floated another round of strikes.

President Donald Trump defended his decision to strike Iran in an interview with WINK News in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, ahead of a rally for Republican candidates before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Asked whether there was anything he would have done differently over the last two years, Trump replied: "Well, it's always easier to say, but I had to attack Iran or they would have had a nuclear weapon."

Another 'little Epic Fury'

At the rally later that evening, Trump suggested the United States could resume military action if Tehran does not agree to a deal, saying Washington could launch "another little Epic Fury." "If they're smart, they'll just say, 'Let's get down to business,'" he said.

He also revived the idea of pressure on Cuba, saying U.S. warships returning from the Iran war could stop "about 50 yards off the coast" of the island, and that he would then send Secretary of State Marco Rubio "to finish up the deal."

Pressure at home and abroad

The war with Iran has pushed up fuel prices and weighed on the president's standing ahead of the midterms. Trump has argued at recent rallies that higher gas prices are a small price to pay for keeping a nuclear weapon out of Iran's hands.

His remarks came as U.S. intelligence warned that Iran has stepped up plots against American officials abroad, prompting the State Department to reduce staff at several diplomatic posts in the region.