Trump Claims Iran Conflict Will Conclude Immediately Following Midterm Elections

US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the ongoing war with Iran would come to an end “immediately” after the US midterm elections, directly linking the resolution of the conflict to the November 3 vote. Speaking while traveling to Dallas, Texas, for a Republican midterm convention, Mr Trump also predicted that energy prices would begin to drop following the election.

“I think the war is going to end immediately after the election,” he told reporters, suggesting that Tehran was deliberately prolonging the hostilities to maintain high fuel prices leading up to the vote. "They'd like to have it that way," Mr Trump remarked. "Pero right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward.”

These remarks represent a notable departure from his earlier projections regarding the duration of the conflict. When the war was initiated alongside Israel on February 28, Mr Trump estimated it would last only a few weeks. However, the conflict has now stretched past six months, largely driven by Iran's strategic chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a fifth of the global fuel supply previously passed.

When questioned about why the conflict would cease post-election, Mr Trump asserted that Iran’s leaders are “desperate” to impact the electoral outcome. He further noted that the US is no longer actively pursuing a negotiated settlement, though he did not entirely rule out future talks. “Originally, I wanted to make a deal. We're so far down the line, they have very little country left right now, so we're not looking for it,” he stated. “Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen but it's not something we're looking at.”

The conflict has triggered a sharp surge in oil prices, with Brent crude surpassing $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time in six weeks due to ongoing fighting and supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Rising energy and living expenses remain critical economic issues for American voters ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Having campaigned on promises to reduce costs, Mr Trump has frequently blamed inflation on his predecessor, Joe Biden. His handling of both the economy and the war in Iran has negatively impacted his approval ratings, which currently hover around 33 per cent according to polls.

Mr Trump maintained that petrol prices will eventually drop below $2 a gallon (52 cents a litre), down from the current national average of over $4. Addressing recent UK sanctions targeting businesses and settlers associated with Israeli settlements—announced alongside coordinated measures by France and Canada—he refrained from criticizing the actions. “Well, I've just seen it and I'll be speaking to Israel,” he said. “I'll be speaking to them and I'll find out what's their thinking. I understand, you know, I understand exactly what's going on, but I want to find out why all of a sudden has that happened.” Thus far, the US has chosen not to implement comparable trade measures, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating on Tuesday that Washington opposes any “destabilising” activities in the West Bank.