US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran is unlikely to end before the November midterm elections, warning that high oil prices will also persist until the conflict is over.
Trump said on Wednesday that he expected Tehran to give up shortly after the elections, as the prolonged conflict puts pressure on his administration and fuels concern over rising fuel costs in the United States. "I think the war's going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer," Trump said of Tehran. The President made the remarks while travelling to Texas for the Republican Party's first-ever midterm election convention, with control of Congress at stake in the November 3 polls. Trump is facing declining approval ratings as the war enters its seventh month, while some members of his own Republican Party have increased pressure on him to bring the conflict to an end. Oil prices climbed to $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July as fighting across the Middle East intensified, adding to concerns over the cost of fuel and other goods in the US. "Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward," Trump told reporters. "I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterm." Trump also accused Iran of trying to influence the US elections by prolonging the conflict and seeking to help Democrats gain ground, although he offered no evidence to support the claim. He said Iran was "desperate to try and affect the election, so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there" - an apparent reference to the Democrats - "and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon". Tehran has repeatedly rejected claims that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Speaking at the Republican convention in Texas, Trump again linked lower oil prices to the end of the conflict, telling supporters that prices would fall once the US wins the war. "Guys come up to me and say, 'I wish you didn't do the war in Iran. Now gasoline is up'". The President had initially expected the war to last only a few weeks, but the conflict has now continued for seven months, with its impact spreading beyond the battlefield to fuel, groceries and other costs. Trump said further talks with Iran could still take place, although he indicated that negotiations were not currently a priority for his administration. The November 3 midterm elections will determine the balance of power in Congress, with Republicans facing the possibility of losing control of both chambers. Historically, the party of a sitting US president tends to lose seats during midterm elections. At the Texas gathering, Trump sought to rally Republicans ahead of the polls as concerns over the war and its effect on the economy grow within the party. The latest escalation in the Middle East has also affected global energy markets, with attacks on oil facilities across the region pushing up the cost of crude and threatening to raise the price of goods that depend on fuel and shipping. US diesel prices also reached an all-time high earlier in the week, a development expected to increase costs across the economy. The conflict has intensified since a 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month. On Wednesday, the US military said it had attacked five oil tanker ships linked to Iran. Iranian state media, in response, reported that Tehran had attacked two US Navy destroyers and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, causing "heavy damage" to the vessels. A day earlier, the Iran-linked Houthis in Yemen launched a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia, triggering fires at oil facilities. The renewed fighting has also raised concerns that higher fuel costs could contribute to increased interest rates in the United States.