Trump Says Iran War Could End After US Midterms

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believes the war with Iran could end “immediately” after the United States holds its midterm elections in November, arguing that Tehran is no longer able to sustain the conflict.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election” because Iran “can’t hold out any longer,” Trump told reporters.

He also accused Tehran of being “desperate to try and affect” the US vote, suggesting that Iran could seek to influence the outcome of the November elections.

Trump’s remarks came as fighting and tensions around the strategic Strait of Hormuz continued to escalate.

Iranian state television reported Wednesday that an explosion was heard near the Strait of Hormuz, although it said the nature and source of the incident had not immediately been determined.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces had attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other “non-compliant vessels” attempting to navigate the strait, according to Iranian state media. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported that several vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf had been subjected to disabling fire amid ongoing military activity.

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, normally carrying around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

The IRGC has also expanded its maritime “prohibited zone” to parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, warning vessels against entering the area without coordination.

The latest escalation followed US strikes on five Iranian oil tankers a day earlier. Iran said it had responded by targeting US military facilities in the region, including a base in Jordan. Jordan said its forces intercepted 18 missiles fired toward the kingdom.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks on its tankers as an “overt threat to regional and international peace and security,” while Tehran described its strikes on US facilities as acts of “self-defence” and warned of further attacks against tankers near US allies Kuwait and Bahrain.

The US military has said its operations were carried out in response to an Iranian attack targeting an American warship, marking the second such incident in less than a week.

The confrontation has also driven oil prices above $100 a barrel again, as Iran restricts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Washington pursues a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.