Trump Predicts Iran War End and Oil Price Drop After US Elections

US President Donald Trump has said the conflict with Iran will end and oil prices will fall sharply "immediately after the election," as crude prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

Speaking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews before departing for the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump was asked how he would explain rising fuel costs to Americans. He responded that prices would begin tumbling "right after the election," adding that gasoline could eventually drop below $2 a gallon.

"I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterms," he said, suggesting the timeline extends beyond the upcoming congressional polls.

Trump attributed the ongoing hostilities to Iran's desperation to influence the US political calendar. "They're desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon," he said. He insisted Tehran "can't hold out any longer" and predicted the war would conclude soon after voting ends.

The president also confirmed that US forces had knocked out nine Iranian tankers in recent operations, saying "many of them are gonezo."

In a separate exchange, Trump addressed the possibility of pardoning his former attorney Michael Cohen, who testified against him in a 2024 business fraud trial that led to Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts. Trump said he had "never been asked that question" but would consider it if "everything is checking out." He praised Cohen for having "recanted" his testimony, claiming prosecutors "forced him to say things that he didn't want to say and that he didn't believe."

Cohen served three years in prison for federal crimes including arranging hush-money payments. He has reportedly submitted a pardon application to the White House.