Trump Says Iran War Will End 'Whenever I Want It To' as Reported Costs Climb to $47 Billion

President Donald Trump has repeated that the war with Iran will end "whenever I want it to," while insisting that Tehran must never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. He made the remarks at a rally in Lubbock, Texas.

"Somebody asked me before, 'When will the war in Iran end?' I said, 'Whenever I want it to end,'" Trump told the crowd. He said an end "would be very quick, but we have to have an end properly," and called for a "total statement" that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

The comments come as the president faces poll numbers near a record low, driven by rising energy costs and concerns about affordability. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday put his approval rating at 32%. The United States holds its midterm elections on Nov. 3.

The financial burden on households has become part of the debate. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said on Oct. 12 that the war had cost American families an average of $2,000 so far. He attributed $1,100 of that to higher energy costs, $540 to higher interest rate costs and $360 to increased military spending.

There is little sign that the conflict is winding down. Trump has said he will soon decide whether to "make a deal" with Iran or "finish it off." Earlier this month, the United States evacuated diplomats from Saudi Arabia. The New York Times reported that U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up specific plans for a "short but intensive" series of strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.

The financial cost of the war has also grown. According to a report by The Hill, a U.S. Central Command estimate from Oct. 16 put the total at $47 billion, about $3 billion higher than earlier figures. Most of that spending was reportedly for replacing munitions.

The conflict has caused shortfalls in U.S. munitions, even though Trump claimed on Sept. 3 that the country had "virtually unlimited" ammunition.

The $47 billion figure does not include damage to military bases in the Middle East. A lead inspector general report to Congress estimated that damage at $184 million as of June 29. That figure also counts damage from Iranian strikes to U.S. diplomatic facilities in four countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.