Trump repeats five times that it's 'highly unlikely' he'll wage war against Iran again after JD Vance admitted that was GOP's midterm downfall

President Donald Trump repeated five times in an interview that it is 'highly unlikely' he will escalate the war in Iran, days after Vice President JD Vance admitted the military action led to Republicans' downfall in last week's midterm elections.

The commander-in-chief told CNN Anchor Jim Sciutto in a nearly 20-minute phone call on Sunday that there was progress in the ongoing negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program and reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.

'It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,' he said, noting: 'The answer is [it's] highly unlikely it's going to be necessary.

'They're a failing nation,' Trump explained. 'It just came out, you saw this year, 301 percent inflation.'

He then repeated again that it is 'highly unlikely' military action will be necessary.

'I would, if necessary, but we hit them so hard. You don't know how hard I hit them,' the president said. 'So it's unlikely I'll have to. 

'They're withering away financially. We've hit them militarily. We could finish them off,' he continued.

The remarks came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US to either accept Tehran's latest offer to end the war or face military escalation. 

President Donald Trump said five times on Sunday it is 'highly unlikely' he will wage war against Iran again

His remarks came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (pictured) warned the US to either accept Tehran's latest offer to end the war or face military escalation

Araghchi cited Republicans' downfall in the midterm elections in his warning on X

'American voters have made their choice. Time for the White House to make its own,' Araghchi posted on X.

'Our two-day proposal stands: meet the requirement, including ending the war on all fronts and you will see results. Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell.'

Araghchi and other Iranian hardliners have seized on the results of Tuesday's midterm elections as a sign of a weakened Trump presidency that would be more willing to give in to their country's demands to be allowed to continue its nuclear program, which they say is necessary for energy and to maintain control of the Strait, CNN reports. 

Vance has blamed the war in Iran for the 'blue tsunami' that saw Democrats flip seats in both the House and Senate, and win governorships in deep-red states.

'The reason we lost is the war. The President himself said so last night,' he said in a lengthy X post on Wednesday.

Vance then sent a strong message to supporters of the Iran war, demanding that they take responsibility for pushing the US to act in the Middle East. 

When Trump was then asked about the disastrous election results that day, he, too, seemed to accept that the war was partially to blame. 

'It is largely true,' he conceded, but added: 'If I had to do it again, I would do it. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'

Vice President JD Vance previously blamed the war in Iran for the 'blue tsunami'

Since the war in Iran began back in February, the US has decimated the Islamic Republic's missile and drone capabilities, the president has said.

The country now retains just 10 percent of its missile capacity and 15 percent of its drone capabilities, Trump told Sciutto on Sunday.

Iran's air defenses have also been destroyed.

'It's unstoppable because they have no anti-aircraft stuff. All of their anti-aircraft is gone,' the president said.

Iran has also struggled to sell crude oil on global markets under US sanctions, while billions of dollars in assets held in foreign banks have been frozen.

'Most likely, it will not be necessary,' Trump repeated of the prospect of new military action in Iran. 'They want to make a deal so badly.' 

Iranian missiles are pictured at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran

The United States has maintained a blockade of the Gulf of Oman. Smoke is seen rising from the stern of a St. Kitts-flagged cargo vessel after US Central Command said it tried to break the blockade

Trump announced on Sunday that a task force aimed at blocking Tehran from using land to move advanced weapons, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue is in effect

But the United States is also offering a reward of up to $20 million for information on Iran's nuclear program and has launched a task force aimed at blocking Tehran from using land to move advanced weapons, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue.

The task force, dubbed Iron Gate, is now 'in full effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.

'Coupled with history's greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran!'

President Trump has also made it clear that US forces are in position across the Middle East if he were to give the order to strike.

'I've got three aircraft carriers here,' he told CNN. 'The other one just arrived. We have three. They're fully locked and loaded.'

If the United States were to strike, Trump said he has identified infrastructure targets, including power plants and bridges. 

'We have 38 bridges in our sight that we can knock down in literally one hour, they'll all be down,' he said, though he noted he would prefer not to destroy Iranian infrastructure.

'I don't want to do that, because essentially, it'll take 10 years to rebuild them.

'I don't like ripping down bridges,' the president continued. 'And the hardest thing to build is a bridge. It takes years, and I'm a good builder.' 

The president said on Sunday that there are three US aircraft carriers spread out across the region. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is pictured on Friday

Diplomatic activity across the Middle East has increased since Tuesday's midterm elections.

On Friday, Qatar said Trump called Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss de-escalation, and one day earlier, Araghchi spoke with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Qatar.

As part of the negotiations, Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments whose closure has caused gas prices to surge, if the US agrees to several conditions – including lifting sanctions and releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.