Trump’s Iran Prediction: War Ends Right After Midterms — Past Presidents Called Out

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump offered his most definitive timeline yet for the end of the U.S.-Iran war on Wednesday, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that the conflict will conclude as soon as the midterm elections are over .

"I think the war will end immediately after the election. They can't hold on," Trump said, referring to the Iranian regime . "They're desperately trying to influence the election so they get a bunch of weak people who will let them do whatever they want and let them have nuclear weapons" .

A Long-Running Feud With Past Presidents

The president's timeline came packaged with familiar attacks on his predecessors. He once again criticized the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Barack Obama's administration negotiated, labeling it a naive concession that allowed Iran to advance its nuclear ambitions . Trump has repeatedly called Obama a "sucker" for agreeing to the deal and has said Biden was "even worse" for failing to reverse its consequences .

In a June interview with NBC's "Today" show, Obama fired back, arguing that Trump's withdrawal from the agreement "led to Iran increasing its nuclear capabilities" and that the U.S. had now spent "hundreds of billions of dollars" on a war that left the country "back at square one, maybe even in a worse position" .

Polling and Political Calculations

The president's promise to end the war after Nov. 3 comes as polling shows the conflict has become a significant political liability. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in late August found that only 31% of Americans support the war, while approximately 63% oppose it . Trump's approval rating has dropped to a record low of roughly 33% in the same survey, largely due to the economic fallout from the conflict .

Trump's own advisors appear to be urging caution. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both privately advised the president to avoid escalating the conflict before the midterms, fearing that a further spike in oil prices could cost Republicans control of Congress .

Oil Prices and the 'Wait-and-See' Strategy

Brent crude surged past $100 a barrel on Wednesday, a level not seen since July, as Iran launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan and the U.S. destroyed five Iranian oil tankers .

Trump acknowledged that gas prices will not drop immediately after the war ends, but insisted a sharp decline would follow eventually . He also reiterated that negotiations with Iran are "not something we're thinking about right now," although he left the door open for a future diplomatic solution .

For now, the president has placed his bet on economic pressure to force Iran's collapse — and on the midterms to determine whether he has the political capital to see it through. The next 55 days will determine both the fate of the war and the future of his presidency.