US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the war between the United States and Iran would end "immediately" after the November 3 midterm elections, even as he ruled out an early return to nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
"This war will end immediately after our election," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Dallas, Texas, where he was scheduled to address the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention.
He argued that Iran "can't hold out any longer," accusing Tehran of trying to influence the outcome of the November polls.
On the prospect of talks, the president struck a cautious note. "We're not looking for it," he said of negotiations, adding, "Yes, a negotiation could possibly happen, but it's not something we're looking at."
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Trump added that his administration had originally sought a deal but had gone "so far down the line" that Iran now had "very little country left."
Asked about a possible nuclear agreement, after Energy Secretary Chris Wright had suggested one may no longer be on the table, Trump replied simply, "No," while separately telling reporters, "I'm doing much more than a nuclear deal. There's a lot more than nuclear."
The remarks came amid a sharp escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military struck five oil tankers in the strait on Tuesday, with US Central Command confirming it had destroyed four vessels in the Gulf of Oman and one near Iran's Kharg Island oil hub.
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Iran responded by targeting ten ships near the strait on Wednesday, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers.
The comments came against the backdrop of Trump's approval rating falling to 33%, according to the latest polling. The war, launched alongside Israel in February, has now entered its seventh month with no ceasefire in sight.
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