'They Can't Hold Out Any Longer': Trump Says Iran War Will End 'Immediately' After US Midterms

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the war with Iran will end “immediately” after the US midterm elections in November, arguing that Tehran “can’t hold out any longer” as the conflict enters its seventh month.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election” because Iran “can’t hold out any longer,” Trump told reporters before departing for the Republican National Convention in Dallas.

Trump also accused Tehran of trying to influence the November vote by seeking the election of what he described as a “nice weak group of people” who would leave Iran alone and allow it to develop nuclear weapons.

.@POTUS: “I think the war will end immediately after the election… They’re 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.” https://t.co/MV7GDA8e4q pic.twitter.com/fOuJfUpohm

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 9, 2026

Iran Expands Hormuz Operations

Trump’s comments came as Iran announced a major escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas shipments.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that they had attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other vessels that were attempting to pass through the waterway, according to Iranian state media.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said several vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf had been subjected to “disabling fire” amid ongoing military activity.

The renewed fighting has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel. Benchmark Brent crude futures crossed the mark for the first time since July as Tehran tightened its grip on the strait and Washington maintained pressure on Iranian ports.

Midterms Put Trump Under Pressure

The November 3 midterm elections are expected to serve as a major test for Trump’s administration, with voters facing growing frustration over the war and a deepening cost-of-living crisis.

Trump said oil prices would also fall “right after the election” once the war ends, linking the conflict directly to the economic pressure being felt by American consumers.

While insisting that Washington was not actively seeking negotiations, Trump again left the door open to diplomacy, saying: “Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it’s not something we’re looking at.”

(With inputs from agencies)