In his final address at the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S.-Iran conflict will conclude immediately following next month’s midterm elections.
“I think the war’s going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump stated on Wednesday, referring to Iran. He added that oil prices would not decline until after the vote.
The president also suggested Iran was “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 weapon.”
Trump faces declining poll numbers and pressure from within his Republican Party to end the war with Iran. Oil prices rose to $100 for the first time since July due to heightened Middle East tensions, including recent strikes by Iran on U.S. vessels.
On Tuesday, the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers, prompting Iran to target 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz — two of which were American vessels and eight were oil tankers — Wednesday.
Trump attributed the attacks to U.S. actions: “We’ve knocked out nine of their ships. I would say that the attacks are caused by us.”
