White House Says Trump "Holds All the Cards" Against Iran

The White House says President Donald Trump «holds all the cards» in the confrontation with Iran's government, declining to say when or how the administration will act next. The claim came as Iran's leadership signaled defiance after the Republican setbacks in the November midterm elections.

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since a joint US-Israeli airstrike that reportedly killed his predecessor, Ali Khamenei, and several members of the family. In a post on X, Mojtaba Khamenei argued that the United States was entering a period of accelerating «collapse» following the Republican losses at the polls. Iranian officials have also described the midterm results as a political defeat for Trump.

According to the White House, the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil, and the Iranian economy is in a state of collapse. Officials have framed the administration's position as one of strength, saying the timing and nature of any further action will not be announced in advance. The campaign against Iran's nuclear program, known as Operation Epic Fury, remains the central element of Washington's strategy.

The nuclear dispute remains unresolved. International inspectors have not accounted for Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and one expert assessment cited in the reporting suggests that parts of Iran's ballistic missile program could be rebuilt. Analysts quoted in the coverage disagree about the next step. Some argue that Tehran is waiting out Trump in the expectation that a future Democratic administration would take a softer approach. One expert urged backing Israel if it chooses to act, while advising Washington to avoid a continuous series of strikes. Another noted that Congress has limited tools to constrain the executive branch without a veto-proof majority, and pointed to the precedent of President George W. Bush authorizing a troop surge in Iraq after the 2006 midterms.

The information environment around the conflict has also been shaped by staged and propagandistic content. Tehran held a mock execution exhibit titled «Trump in a Cage» to mark the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy, which fell on November 4. Iranian state media released an AI-generated video threatening military targets in France, Germany and Britain. Iranian state radio celebrated the Democratic midterm victory.

Domestic American debate reflects a similar split. Commentators are divided over whether Washington should finish the military campaign or pursue negotiations. Exit polling cited by one expert found that only 4 percent of voters named foreign policy as their top issue, a figure that suggests the war was not the decisive concern for most of the electorate in the midterms.

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Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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