Trump Says Iran War Will End 'Immediately After' US Midterm Elections
Key Takeaways
- •Trump predicted the Iran war would end immediately after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, arguing Tehran is trying to influence the vote but cannot endure continued U.S. economic pressure.
- •Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday following the U.S. sinking of five Iranian oil tankers, as the conflict entered its seventh month.
- •Benchmark Brent crude futures surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time since July after the escalation near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a substantial share of global oil shipments.
- •Trump's approval ratings have fallen to a record low amid voter frustration over the war and a deepening cost-of-living crisis, with all 435 House seats and roughly one-third of the Senate on the Nov. 3 ballot.
- •Trump said negotiations with Iran could possibly occur but are not being pursued, and he expects oil prices to come down shortly after the war ends.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump predicted on Wednesday that the war with Iran will end "immediately after" the U.S. midterm elections in November, arguing that Tehran is trying to influence the vote but can no longer hold out in the face of U.S. economic pressure.
"I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," Trump told reporters before departing for Dallas, Texas, where he was scheduled to address the first-ever Republican National Committee (RNC) midterm convention.
The conflict, which recently entered its seventh month, has shown no immediate signs of ending. On Wednesday, Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers. The renewed fighting sent oil prices surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for a substantial share of global oil shipments, which is why the latest escalation rippled through energy markets.
Trump's approval ratings recently sank to a record low amid voter frustration over the Iran war and a deepening cost-of-living crisis. The midterm elections, due to be held on Nov. 3, are typically seen as a referendum on the occupant of the White House, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and roughly one-third of the Senate on the ballot this year.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump also predicted that oil prices would come down shortly after the election once the war is over. He acknowledged that diplomatic talks remain a possibility but said they are not a preferred course of action.
"Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it's not something we're looking at," Trump said.
With the Nov. 3 vote approaching, attention will center on the pace of fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, how the war features in the midterm campaign, and whether the diplomatic track Trump described shows any sign of movement.
This article is based on reporting by The Korea Times: Trump says Iran war will end right after US midterm elections.
