Trump says Iran is prolonging war to hurt Republicans in midterms
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran is deliberately prolonging the war to hurt Republicans in November's midterm elections, predicting that the conflict would end “immediately after the election,” Politico reported.
“I think the war is going to end immediately after the election,” Trump told reporters while traveling to Texas for a Republican midterm convention.
“They can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice, weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapons,” he said.
Trump also predicted that gasoline prices would fall below $2 a gallon after the midterms.
Energy prices have risen sharply during the war. Diesel now costs nearly $6 a gallon on average after reaching a record high last week, while regular gasoline averages $4.22 a gallon, up from $4.01 a month ago, according to AAA.
Higher energy costs have contributed to inflation concerns and voter frustration, while Republicans worry that the economic effects of the war could cost them control of the House and possibly the Senate.
Trump's latest prediction marks another shift in his timeline for the conflict, which has already lasted months longer than he initially suggested.
The United States and Iran have escalated attacks in recent days, trading strikes on naval vessels and oil tankers.
Trump also said his administration was no longer actively seeking negotiations with Tehran to end the fighting.
“Originally, I wanted to make a deal,” he said. “We're so far down the line, they have very little country left right now, so we're not looking for it. Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it's not something we're looking at.”