Trump Predicts War with Iran Will End After Midterms
US President Donald Trump stated that the war between the US and Iran will end after the midterm elections, suggesting oil prices may not fall significantly before then. The conflict has led to rising energy costs, with Brent crude reaching $100 a barrel on Wednesday and the national average for a gallon of gas sitting at $4.22, up from a year ago.
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' for prices to fall below $2 a gallon. The consumer burden is estimated to be over $101 billion since the start of the conflict.
Iran retaliated with strikes towards Jordan on Tuesday, though a US official stated Iran's response was 'ineffective' and that American forces have 100 percent accountability at all locations in Jordan. A new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies concludes there has been a surge in construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear site.
Trump suggested last week the US could hit Pickaxe Mountain 'very soon,' stating 'We know everybody that's moving at Pickax. We know everybody that's moving everywhere all over Iran. And if anything goes bad, we hit them.'