Trump signals escalation against Iran after midterm defeat
President warns of 'big things' in the next two weeks, while his administration faces internal and external pressure.
Trump signals escalation against Iran after midterm defeat — President Donald Trump signaled tonight (Thursday) an escalation of measures against Iran, telling reporters in the Oval Office: "You are going to see some big things in the next week, two weeks." [^1] He warned he would prefer not to "destroy the rest of the country, but I may have to do it – you will know very soon." [^2] The statements come hours after he blamed the Democratic Party for the sharp decline in US stock markets, writing on Truth Social that the drop resulted from their "big win" on Tuesday, adding: "It's sad to see, you have only yourselves to blame." [^3] Trump's bellicose language lands in a complex domestic landscape. Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise sent a letter yesterday (Thursday) to committee heads instructing them to map investigation targets, prepare legally, and consider using executive privilege — a three-stage emergency plan to protect Trump from Democratic probes. [^4] Meanwhile, reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is considering resigning to prepare for a presidential race were denied by Rubio himself, who told the New York Times that working for Trump until the end of his term "was always the plan." [^5] On the Iran front, the administration faces a dilemma between escalation and closing the conflict. [^6] In Iran, there is schadenfreude over Trump's defeat, but also vigilance and threats to open the campaign first if preparations for an attack are detected. [^6] Top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote: "Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." The contrasting framings from Israeli outlets highlight the uncertainty: Maariv frames the post-election period as a survival threat to Defense Secretary Hegseth, emphasizing "knives out" at the Pentagon, while Times of Israel focuses on Democrats targeting Hegseth through investigations, citing Trump and Vance's claim that the Iran war caused the Republican loss. The coming days will test whether Trump's "big things" are aimed at Tehran, at his domestic opponents, or at both simultaneously. Herzog warns of Diaspora fallout as demolitions and party rifts deepen — President Isaac He