WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has predicted that the ongoing war with Iran will not end until after the November midterm elections, saying oil prices are unlikely to fall significantly before then.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday while travelling to Texas for the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm election convention, where he sought to rally support for his party ahead of the crucial November 3 elections.
“I think the war’s going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump said, referring to Tehran.
The president later repeated the prediction at the convention, insisting that the economic difficulties caused by the conflict were a necessary price to pay to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump told reporters, adding that he believed the conflict would take “a little bit longer than the midterm.”
Trump also accused Iran of attempting to influence the US elections, claiming Tehran was desperate to see Republicans lose control of Congress.
“Iran is desperate to try and affect the election, so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there,” Trump said, referring to Democrats, “and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon.”
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However, the president provided no evidence to support the claim. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Growing Pressure on Trump
Trump’s comments come amid growing pressure from within his own Republican Party to bring the conflict to an end.
The president initially predicted that the war, which has now entered its seventh month, would last only a matter of weeks. However, the prolonged conflict has contributed to rising fuel and food costs and has coincided with a significant decline in his approval ratings.
At the Texas convention, Trump acknowledged that some Americans were increasingly concerned about the economic impact of the war.
“Guys come up to me and say, ‘I wish you didn’t do the war in Iran. Now gasoline is up,’” he said.
Trump maintained, however, that oil prices would eventually fall sharply once the conflict ends.
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“Oil prices are going to tumble as soon as we win the war with Iran,” he told supporters.
He also suggested that negotiations with Tehran could potentially resume, although he said it was not currently a priority for his administration.
Oil Prices Surge Amid Middle East Fighting
The intensifying conflict has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, with oil prices climbing sharply as attacks target energy infrastructure and shipping routes across the Middle East.
Oil prices reached $100 per barrel on Wednesday, marking the first time they had reached that level since July.
US diesel prices also hit a record high earlier in the week, raising concerns that transportation costs could push up the prices of goods and services across the country.
The conflict has also heightened fears that rising energy costs could contribute to renewed inflationary pressure and potentially force the US Federal Reserve to maintain or increase interest rates.
Strait of Hormuz Under Pressure
The situation has also escalated around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil-shipping route.
The US military said on Wednesday that it had attacked five oil tanker ships with links to Iran.
Iranian state media subsequently reported that Tehran launched attacks against two US Navy destroyers and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, causing what it described as “heavy damage” to the vessels.
Meanwhile, Iran-linked Houthi forces in Yemen launched a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia a day earlier, triggering fires at oil facilities.
The latest escalation follows the expiration of a 60-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran last month.
Republicans Face Crucial Midterm Battle
The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, with Republicans facing the possibility of losing their control of Congress.
Historically, the party occupying the White House tends to lose seats during midterm elections, making the vote a major political test for Trump’s administration.
With fuel prices rising, public dissatisfaction growing and the conflict showing no immediate sign of ending, Trump is now attempting to convince Republican voters that the economic pain will ultimately be outweighed by what he describes as the need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
For now, however, Trump’s prediction that the war will end immediately after the November election remains uncertain, while the continuing fighting threatens to keep pressure on global oil markets and the US economy.
