US President Donald Trump says he expects the war with Iran to continue until after the November midterm elections, while acknowledging that high oil and fuel prices may persist during the period.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday as he travelled to Texas for the Republican Party’s first midterm convention, Trump said he believed Iran would eventually be forced to end the conflict.
“I think the war’s going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump said.
Trump also linked the timing of the conflict to rising energy prices, saying oil prices were unlikely to fall significantly before the elections.
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” he said.
International Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel on Wednesday, while US gasoline and diesel prices have also climbed sharply as fighting disrupts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has accused Iran of trying to influence the US elections, claiming Tehran wants a weaker group of lawmakers in Congress. He provided no evidence for the allegation, while Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons.
The conflict is now in its seventh month, despite Trump’s earlier prediction that it would last only weeks. The prolonged fighting has increased pressure on his administration over rising fuel prices and the wider cost of living.
Republicans are seeking to maintain their narrow control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, making the economic impact of the war a major political issue.
