Trump predicts Iran conflict will conclude after US midterms

Washington: US President Donald Trump has forecast that the ongoing war with Iran will end "immediately after" the November midterm elections, accusing Tehran of dragging out the conflict to sway American voters.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for Dallas on Wednesday (local time), Trump said he expected the fighting to wind down once the polls close. He claimed Iran was deliberately prolonging the war in hopes of influencing the outcome.

"I think the war is going to end immediately after the election," Trump said. "Because 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 weapon."

Trump reiterated that Iran's ultimate goal remains acquiring a nuclear weapon, warning of severe global consequences if Tehran succeeds.

"All they want is a nuclear weapon. And if they had a nuclear weapon, the whole world is in deep trouble," he said.

The President linked the conflict to soaring energy costs, with benchmark Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel amid intensified fighting around the Strait of Hormuz.

When asked how he would explain high prices to Americans, Trump said: "Well, I think it's very easy to explain to America. All you have to do is say, will you let Iran have a nuclear weapon? And the answer is no."

He predicted a sharp drop in oil prices after the midterms. "Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward," Trump said, adding that he expected petrol to fall "below $2 a gallon". However, he indicated prices were unlikely to ease before the vote.

Trump said the US was not currently seeking talks with Iran, though he did not completely rule them out.

"Originally, I wanted to make a deal. We're so far down the line. They have very little country left right now, so we're not looking for it," he said. "Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it's not something we're looking at."

Pressed on whether he still sought a nuclear agreement, after Energy Secretary Chris Wright suggested one might no longer be on the table, Trump replied: "No."

"I'm doing much more than a nuclear deal. There's a lot more than nuclear," he said. "We're going to have nuclear. That's 99.9, but there's going to be a lot of other things on the table that wouldn't have been on the table three months ago."

Trump also claimed US forces had destroyed multiple Iranian vessels during recent clashes around the Strait of Hormuz.

"We've knocked out nine of their ships," he said. "And you're going to see -- you're going to see a lot more. We've taken out about nine of their tankers. Many of them are gonzo."

The conflict, now in its seventh month, has seen renewed tit-for-tat attacks on shipping, pushing Brent crude above $100 a barrel and raising fears of wider supply disruptions. The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.

(Inputs from IANS)