Trump Predicts End of Iran Conflict Post-Midterm Elections

President Donald Trump said that the ongoing conflict with Iran will end immediately after the midterm elections in November. He claimed that Iran is desperate to affect the election outcome and leave a 'weak group of people' in power, implying that they want to avoid taking further action against US interests.

Trump's comments come as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. This week, US forces struck five Iranian oil tankers in response to IRGC targeting of a US Navy warship. Iran retaliated with strikes towards Jordan, although a US official described their response as 'ineffective'.

The conflict has had significant economic implications, with Brent crude topping $100 a barrel and the national average for a gallon of gas sitting at $4.22. Trump maintained that oil prices will fall when the conflict ends, predicting they would tumble 'right after the election' but take 'a little bit longer than the midterms' to fall below $2 a gallon.

Nate Swanson, director of the Iran Strategy Project at the Atlantic Council, said that Iran's lack of escalation is surprising and that they are avoiding targeting Gulf energy infrastructure. However, he also noted that this situation is unsustainable in the long term and that Iran will continue to lash out as pressure mounts.