Trump forecasts Iran war end around November midterm elections

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the war with Iran could end before November's midterm elections, though he suggested a resolution after the vote remains more likely, as he forecasted a dramatic decline in domestic fuel costs once fighting stops. Speaking to reporters in Ireland during the Amgen Irish Open at his Trump International Golf Links resort, Trump stated: "Look, it could end before the midterms, but it'll end after the midterms." He added that gasoline prices are "going to drop like a rock" following the conclusion of hostilities, with AAA data showing US gasoline prices averaged $4.31 per gallon on Sunday — up from $4.07 a month earlier and $3.19 a year ago.

Nuclear Capabilities Denial

Trump emphasized that any agreement must permanently block Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, declaring: "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon." He noted that Iranian officials have been "calling constantly" to negotiate an end to the seven-month conflict, which has claimed the lives of 18 US servicemembers, though he cautioned that his administration would only accept favorable terms. "I'm not going to make a deal that's no good," he said.

Iranian Denial and Vessel Attack

Iran's Mehr News Agency rejected the US leader's assertions as "absurd," arguing that Trump was attempting to justify domestic economic difficulties exacerbated by the military confrontation. The comments came as Trump declined to confirm Washington's involvement in a lethal strike against an Iranian commercial vessel near Qeshm Island in southern Iran's Gulf waters early Sunday that killed one person and injured three others in what a local official described as a "US attack." "I don't want to say," Trump told reporters when questioned directly about the incident.

Gulf Diplomatic Engagement

Addressing recent diplomatic engagements between Gulf nations and Tehran, Trump dismissed any personal concern regarding such outreach. "I don't care. That's up to them," he said, before raising the prospect of maintaining an American military presence to control regional energy resources. "We will ultimately get out unless we decide to stay and keep the oil, like Venezuela," he added, as the conflict entered its seventh month having claimed 18 American lives while triggering sustained volatility across global energy shipping routes.