President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Iran would launch nuclear attacks against countries in the Middle East, Europe and potentially the United States within 24 hours of acquiring a nuclear weapon, while predicting that the ongoing war with Tehran would soon come to an end. The president also left open the possibility of additional American military strikes, despite previously indicating that further action would be delayed until after the November 3 midterm elections.

Addressing supporters at a campaign rally in Arizona, Trump portrayed Iran’s leadership as having been devastated by successive American military operations, claiming that repeated strikes had eliminated multiple tiers of senior Iranian officials.

“Their first level leaders are gone, they picked a second level. Their second level leaders are gone, they picked a third level. Half of them are gone. They made me promise not to take out any more and I did. I promised them. But nobody wants to be the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump asserted.

Trump: "If Iran had a nuclear weapon, within 24 hours they would use it … they'll start hitting us on the west coast … so this is a very small price people pay. I thought it would go up much higher." pic.twitter.com/mfMt1GvxCR

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 14, 2026

Trump suggested that the conflict was approaching its conclusion, although he did not provide a specific timetable or explain what conditions would bring the fighting to an end.

“That’s going to end very soon.”

The president then issued one of his strongest warnings yet about the consequences of allowing Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons, arguing that the Iranian regime would immediately use such weapons against its enemies.

“if [Iran] had a nuclear weapon, within 24 hours they would use it. They’ll knock out the Middle East, then they’ll start hitting us on the West Coast. They’ll hit Europe – because they’re crazy. They’re crazy people,” Trump said.

Trump maintained that preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power remained the central justification for the American military campaign, describing the danger of allowing the regime to possess a weapon capable of causing catastrophic casualties.

He said the United States had intervened “because you don’t want them to have a weapon that can blow up millions of people in one shot.”

The remarks came as uncertainty continued over whether Washington would launch another round of attacks against Iranian targets before Americans head to the polls next month.

Trump had announced last Thursday on Truth Social that the United States would refrain from carrying out additional strikes against Iran until after the November 3 elections. His subsequent statements, however, have suggested that the administration could reconsider that timetable.

Speaking to reporters Monday, the president indicated that military decisions involving Iran would be determined by developments on the ground rather than the American election calendar.

At a campaign appearance in Alaska on Tuesday evening, Trump went further, telling supporters that the Iranian regime could soon face another major American military operation.

“Oh, wait till you see what we do to Iran. We’re going to do a number. Wait till you see,” he told supporters.

“They’re just waiting. They’re waiting. Wait till you see what we do to Iran, because we’ve sort of had it. You know, we’ve had it,” Trump continued.

The president also repeated his insistence that Iran would never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons, pointing to the destruction of Iranian nuclear infrastructure during previous American strikes.

“But, you know, it doesn’t matter. The big thing is they were not going to have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t. That’s buried under thousands of tons of rock.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump told reporters outside the White House that his administration was nearing a decision on how to proceed with Iran, emphasizing what he described as the country’s worsening financial and military condition.

“They have no economy. They have 300% inflation. They have no money. They’re not paying their troops. They’re not paying anybody. We’ll make a decision on Iran very soon,” Trump said.

The president characterized Iran as a “failed country,” arguing that the regime’s economic difficulties had further weakened its ability to sustain the conflict.