Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the war with Iran will end "immediately after" the US midterm elections in November, and that oil prices will not come down until after the vote. He spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before flying to Dallas for the Republican Party's first midterm convention. The war is now in its seventh month, although Trump initially said it would last a matter of weeks.
Why after the election? "I think the war's going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer," Trump said of Iran's leaders. He added that Iran was "desperate to try and affect the election, so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there" and "let them have their nuclear weapon." He offered no proof for the election claim, the BBC reported, and Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons. Trump said further negotiations with Iran could possibly happen, "but it's not something we're looking at."
What did he say about oil prices? "Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward," Trump said. "I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterm." Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July. Prices jumped more than 3% on the day, PBS NewsHour reported.
What is happening in the fighting? The US destroyed five Iran-linked oil tankers, and Iran said it attacked ten ships near the Strait of Hormuz in response. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said those targets included two US Navy destroyers, though Centcom denied its warships were hit, the BBC reported. The Guard Corps also said it fired ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, whose armed forces said they intercepted 20.
What did he tell the convention? In Dallas, where the BBC reported he repeated the comments, Trump said short-term economic pain was worth it to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Oil would tumble "as soon as we win the war with Iran," he said, adding: "Guys come up to me and say, 'I wish you didn't do the war in Iran. Now gasoline is up'."
What are the political stakes? His approval ratings recently sank to a record low amid voter frustration over the war and a deepening cost-of-living crisis, Korea Times reported. The vote is on 3 November. Republicans hold a razor-thin House majority and are increasingly worried about defending their 53-47 Senate majority, PBS NewsHour reported.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
