Washington: US President Donald Trump said that the war with Iran would end immediately after the midterm elections, accusing Tehran of prolonging the conflict in an effort to influence American voters.
“I think the war is going to end immediately after the election,” Trump told reporters before departing aboard Air Force One for Dallas on Wednesday (local time).
Asked why he expected the conflict to end, 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.”
“All they want is a nuclear weapon. And if they had a nuclear weapon, the whole world is in deep trouble,” he added.
Trump also linked the Iran conflict to the rise in global oil prices, which have climbed above $100 a barrel.
“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 said when asked how he would explain the increase to Americans.
The President claimed Iran’s economy was in disarray and that its currency had lost its value.
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said. “They’re going to be tumbling down, and we’ll get them down.”
“I think, for gasoline, we’ll get them below $2 a gallon,” he added.
When asked whether prices would decline before the midterms, Trump said: “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”
Trump said the United States was not currently seeking negotiations with Iran, although he did not rule out the possibility.
“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,” Trump added.
Asked whether he was still seeking a nuclear agreement after Energy Secretary Chris Wright suggested that one might no longer be under consideration, 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 said US forces had destroyed Iranian vessels during fighting 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 has entered its seventh month, and renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed benchmark Brent crude above $100 a barrel. The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.
(IANS)
