US President Donald Trump has claimed that the ongoing war with Iran will end shortly after the November 3 midterm elections, arguing that Tehran will not be able to withstand continued US military and economic pressure for much longer.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters at an airport and addressing a Republican midterm election conference in Dallas.
“I think the war will end right after the election,” Trump said. “Because they’re not going to be able to hold out much longer.”
According to Trump, Iran wants to influence the US election and is hoping for a weaker American government that would ease pressure on Tehran and allow it to pursue nuclear weapons.
The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3 and will determine which party controls Congress. The elections are generally viewed as a referendum of sorts on the performance of the sitting president and his administration.
Trump also said the dispute with Iran is no longer limited to the country’s nuclear program.
“I’m talking about much more than a nuclear deal,” he said.
Trump said any future negotiations with Iran would certainly include the nuclear issue, but several other matters could also be brought to the table—issues that, he suggested, would have been unlikely to feature in talks just three months ago.
He acknowledged that negotiations with Iran remain possible, but stressed that Washington is not currently seeking a deal.
“We’re not trying for that,” Trump said. “Negotiations could be possible, but it’s not something we’re considering right now.”
Trump also claimed that inflation in Iran has reached 300 percent and that the country is facing a severe economic crisis.
He argued that sustained US economic pressure is weakening Tehran and predicted that the end of the war would have a major impact on energy markets, sending oil prices sharply lower.
Trump said his administration would move to significantly reduce oil prices after the midterm elections and would seek to bring the price of gasoline below $2 a gallon.
Referring to recent US military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump claimed that American forces had disabled around nine Iranian oil tankers.
“You’re going to see a lot more,” Trump said. “We destroyed about nine of their oil tankers.”
