US Politics Live updates: ‘Do I annihilate them?’: Trump weighs ending Iran war with one major strike
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‘Do I annihilate them?’: Fears Trump will decide to end Iran war with major strike
There are new fears this morning that US President Donald Trump is close to ordering a major, region-changing strike to end the war in Iran.Two days ago President Trump told Us outlet Axios that he was considering a “big decision” on the conflict and that “anything could happen”.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It’s a big decision,” he said.
“Anything could happen with me.”
The president has said often in recent days that the war will end soon, occasionally dangling an end to the conflict as a result for a successful midterm election result.
Majority of Americans think Trump’s hurting economy
A majority of American voters believe Donald Trump is harming the national economy, according to a new poll.
The rising cost of fuel and other essentials since the start of the Iran war remains the biggest challenge for Republicans approaching the midterm election, the NBC survey of 1000 voters revealed.
A majority (55 per cent) of those surveyed said they believe Trump’s policies have damaged the economy. That’s up from 48 per cent in March, before the Iran conflict triggered the price of consumer goods to spike.
But even with voters increasingly unhappy about Trump, the Democrats are no shoo-in to seize control of Congress in November.
The poll showed the Democratic Party hold a five-point lead, way less than the 12-point advantage the party enjoyed at this point before the 2018 election during Trump's first term.
A truck drives past a Minneapolis fuel station as diesel prices hit a record high in the US, on September 4. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)
Iran warns US against new round of fighting
Back to the Middle East, and Iran is warning the United States and its allies against launching any major new offensive against the regime.
Top officials say they have details a fresh strike was being prepared, reports Reuters. They did not provide details about the source of the information.
Iran’s military central command told state media any new attack would spark drawn out retaliation against American bases and interests, and that US regional allies would be considered parties to the war.
The Iranian warning follows a new security alert from the US State Department, warning Americans there was potential for increased tensions in the Middle East.
It urged US citizens to be wary of potential flight changes and closures of airspace.
‘Largest ever’ drone attack on Moscow
Ukraine has fired more than 1000 drones at Russia, targeting a major oil refinery on the final day of the country's parliamentary elections.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the wave of drones as the “largest ever” drone attack on the Russian capital, with Russian air defences shooting down 450.
He said the attack had damaged the Moscow oil refinery and a residential building. The strike killed two people and wounded 20.
Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had fired missiles and drones to hit oil and logistics facilities.
“These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the financial pressure that Kyiv hopes to put on Russia’s economy.
Flame and smoke is seen rising from Moscow’s oil refinery in the south east of the city following a large Ukrainian drone attack, Sunday, September 20 (UGC via AP)
Good morning
Welcome to our rolling coverage of US politics, the war in the Middle East, and other global affairs.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday (Monday AEST) the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC would become a “top grade military complex”.
Writing on social media, he says the 75 metre-high ceremonial arch will have the rapid ability to house and deploy large numbers of drones, plus snipers on both the roof and plaza areas.
It is another example of how Trump is insisting that his initiatives to beautify the White House and the city are also serving a defensive purpose.
Trump has been describing the new White House ballroom a “military complex”, arguing it is vital for national security purposes.
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