Trump predicts Iran war end after midterms

President Donald Trump predicted the war with Iran would conclude immediately after the U.S. midterm elections in November, even as recent escalations have disrupted shipping routes and pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel. Trump stated that Iran was prolonging the conflict to influence the U.S. elections, asserting that Tehran could not sustain the war much longer due to mounting economic pressure. Reports indicate Iran claimed to have attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, following U.S. forces sinking five Iranian oil tankers. Preliminary ship-tracking data showed only seven vessels transited the Strait that day, approximately half the recent 10-day average. Conflicting accounts exist regarding the number of Iranian vessels destroyed or damaged by U.S. forces, with figures ranging from five to approximately nine. Trump suggested Iran was "desperate" to affect the election outcome to secure a more favorable U.S. administration. He also renewed threats to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain complex, a fortified site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, citing observed activity.