Trump donor Thiel questions decision to go to war with Iran

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 13:58 · Archive

Billionaire Republican donor Peter Thiel said the war with Iran was a mistake that should not have happened.

Billionaire Republican investor Peter Thiel admitted in an audio recording that he was sceptical of the war with Iran. In comments made at a private event, he said: 'I'm sceptical of [the war]; I think we should not have done it. There were a lot of mistakes that were made.' He added: 'Maybe we don't have the hard power. Maybe we're going to lose the soft power war.' The audio was obtained by Politico.

Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and Palantir, has long been a major donor to Republican causes and candidates. His criticism comes as the Republican Party faces pressure to maintain its slim Senate majorities ahead of the November 3 mid-term elections. The conflict in the Middle East began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran. The war has caused fuel prices to skyrocket as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains dangerous and constrained.

Despite his criticism of the war, Thiel reaffirmed his continued support for President Trump. Both outlets report that during the lecture in Nashville, Thiel also highlighted his strong opposition to neoconservatives and wars in the Middle East.

How it is being reported

• Billionaire Donald Trump donor Peter Thiel embarrasses US President by admitting Iran war was a mistakeOne of Donald Trump's biggest tech billionaire supporters, Peter Thiel, shared that he is sceptical of the war with Iran, leaked audio reportedly revealedThe Mirror · 22 Oct, 13:35
• Billionaire Republican donor Peter Thiel says he thinks Trump's war with Iran was a mistake as potentially disastrous mid-terms loomBillionaire Republican investor Peter Thiel admitted that he was sceptical of Donald Trump's war with Iran and questioned whether the conflict had been a mistake.Daily Mail · 22 Oct, 09:09

In this story: Peter Thiel · Donald Trump · Iran · United States · Israel · Palantir · PayPal

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem