US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, predicted that the war with Iran would end immediately after the congressional midterm elections on November 3, saying Tehran would not be able to withstand US economic pressure for much longer.
Trump accused Iran of trying to influence the election results by prolonging the war and its economic fallout. He made the remarks to reporters before leaving for Dallas to attend a Republican Party conference.
New escalation in the war's seventh month
The war entered its seventh month with no end in sight. Iran said on Wednesday that it had attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after the United States sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the latest round of escalation between the two sides.
Trump had predicted at the start of the war that it would last a few weeks, but the fighting has continued for more than six months. His vice president, JD Vance, also avoided setting an end date for the confrontation in remarks last week, saying he did not want to impose artificial timelines.
Oil prices tied to end of fighting
Negotiations remain possible
Trump left open the possibility of negotiations with Iran, but said reaching a settlement through talks was not an option his administration was pursuing at present.
