US President Donald Trump claimed that the war with Iran would end ‘immediately’ after the upcoming US midterm elections, accusing Tehran of prolonging the conflict in the hope that a shift in political power in Washington would give it an opportunity to pursue a nuclear weapon.
‘Iran desperate to affect election’: Trump
Speaking to reporters before leaving for a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, the US President alleged that Iran was attempting to influence American voters by holding out for a more lenient administration in Washington.ย “I think the war will end immediately after the election. They are desperate to try and affect the election so that we could get a nice, weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon,” Trump said.ย
When asked directly why he believes the fighting will cease so rapidly after the election, Trump reiterated that Tehran is running out of options.
“Because they can’t hold out any longer. They are 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,” Trump said.ย
Trump on US-Iran peace talk
When asked whether he expected diplomatic talks to resume or the military campaign to restart, Trump indicated that Washington is in no hurry to return to the negotiating table, claiming that recent military operations had severely weakened the Iranian state.
“We are not looking for it, to be honest with you. Originally, I wanted to make a deal,” Trump told a reporter.ย
“We are so far down the line; they have very little country left right now, so we are not looking for it. Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it’s not something we’re looking at. This war will end immediately after our election,” he said.
He added that any ultimate diplomatic resolution would extend far beyond conventional nuclear agreements. “I am doing much more than a nuclear deal. There is a lot more than nuclear. We are going to have a nuclear deal. 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 declared.ย
Talking about strikes against Iranian tankers, the President said that the US has attacked nine Iranian ships and warned that additional action would follow. “We have knocked out nine of their ships; I would say that the attacks are caused by us— and you are going to see a lot more. We have taken out about nine of their tankers. Many of them are gone-zo,” Trump said.
The November 3 midterm elections will be a key test for Donald Trump’s administration, with voter frustration over the Iran war and rising cost-of-living pressures potentially shaping the outcome. Americans will elect all 435 House members and some senators, determining which party controls Congress and how easily Trump can pursue his agenda.
(With ANI inputs)
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