US President Donald Trump predicted on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, that the war with Iran would end immediately after the US midterm elections scheduled for November, saying Tehran would be unable to continue fighting for much longer, as Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel amid escalating clashes near the Strait of Hormuz.
Further attacks and negotiations currently off the table
Trump told reporters, before departing for Dallas to attend a Republican Party conference, that Iran was trying, he claimed, to influence US elections by prolonging the war and its repercussions.
He added that the United States would launch further attacks, explaining that negotiations remained possible but were not the option his administration was pursuing at present. He also linked the end of the war to falling oil prices, predicting that they would decline after the elections.
Clashes intensify near the Strait of Hormuz
Trump's remarks came after Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel, amid renewed fighting and mounting risks to shipping and crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the strait, after what it said was the United States sinking five Iranian oil tankers. Live coverage also reported hearing an explosion near Hormuz, with no further information about its source or whether it caused damage.
194 days of war
The developments came 194 days after the war between Washington and Tehran began and on the 85th day since the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding, as military operations continued on more than one front.
