US President Donald Trump said he does not expect the war with Iran to end before the United States holds midterm elections on 3 November, arguing that Tehran will be unable to sustain the conflict much longer after the vote.
Speaking on Wednesday while travelling to Texas for the Republican Party’s first midterm election convention, Trump said he believed the war would end shortly after the election. He also said oil prices would fall after the conflict had been won, while acknowledging that this could take longer than the election itself.
Trump linked the continuing conflict to the political contest, alleging without presenting evidence that Iran was seeking to influence the election in favour of what he described as weaker US political leaders. Tehran has repeatedly denied that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
At the Texas convention, Trump argued that the economic impact of the war was justified by the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He referred to complaints from Americans about higher gasoline prices, saying some had told him they wished he had not begun the war.
Political and economic pressure
The conflict has entered its seventh month, despite Trump’s earlier prediction that it would last only weeks. Falling approval ratings and pressure from within the Republican Party, including from some supporters, have added to calls for the war to end quickly.
Republicans face the prospect of losing control of Congress in the November elections. Trump used the Texas gathering to rally the party ahead of the vote, when the president’s party has historically tended to lose congressional seats.
Fighting in the Middle East has intensified after a 60-day US-Iran ceasefire formally expired last month. Attacks on oil-related facilities and vessels have pushed up fuel costs and prices for goods that depend on shipping.
Oil reached $100 a barrel on Wednesday, its highest level since July, while the US diesel price hit a record high earlier in the week. The higher fuel costs could also contribute to higher US interest rates, according to predictions cited in the report.
The US military said it struck five oil tanker ships with links to Iran on Wednesday. Iranian state media said Tehran then attacked two US Navy destroyers and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, causing heavy damage. A day earlier, Iran-linked Houthi forces in Yemen launched attacks in Saudi Arabia that caused fires at oil facilities.
Trump said additional negotiations with Iran remained possible, but said they were not currently being pursued.
Source: BBC News
