US President Donald Trump said he expects the six-month war with Iran to conclude once November’s midterm elections pass, hours after the two nations exchanged their most extensive wave of attacks on shipping since the conflict began. He also renewed threats to strike Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified underground site tied to Iran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump argued Tehran was running out of options and was deliberately trying to sway the midterm vote, which will decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress.
He predicted hostilities would stop “immediately” once the election concluded. The remarks came as fuel prices climbed and public approval of his handling of the war sits at historic lows.
The comments followed a dramatic escalation across the Gulf. US Central Command said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers overnight after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard twice attempted to target a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the preceding two days; Washington said the vessel evaded the strikes and no American personnel were harmed.
Iran responded by striking a US-linked base in Jordan and reportedly firing on two American vessels and eight oil tankers attempting to cross a stretch of the Strait of Hormuz it has declared restricted, bringing its total claimed targets to ten ships. The exchange pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, and US diesel prices hit a record high.
Trump also singled out Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified facility near Iran’s damaged Natanz enrichment site believed to house deeply buried tunnel complexes, warning Tehran against provocation and saying the US had detected renewed activity there. He has threatened to strike the site since mid-July.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that senior White House officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately cautioned Trump that the war could persist well beyond the midterms — potentially through the remainder of his term.
