Donald Trump predicts Iran war will end immediately after US midterm elections

President Donald Trump has claimed the war with Iran will end "immediately" after the US midterm elections, accusing Tehran of stalling the conflict in the hope of helping Democrats win control of Congress.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday before boarding Air Force One for Dallas, Trump argued that the Iranian government is deliberately prolonging the war to secure a more favourable political environment. "They’re desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice, weak group of people in there," Trump said, suggesting that a Democratic victory would allow Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions unchecked.

The legislative elections on 3 November will decide control of a closely divided Congress. But while Trump insisted that Iran "can’t hold out any longer," his timeline is reportedly disputed behind closed doors. A report by the Telegraph indicates that Vice President JD Vance and Senator Marco Rubio both believe the war is likely to extend beyond the end of Trump's current term.

The political rhetoric comes amid heavy fighting and conflicting accounts of military losses. On Thursday, Trump flatly rejected reports that a ballistic missile barrage on Tuesday had damaged American aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. "No damage. No nothing," Trump said.

His denial directly contradicts reports from within his own administration. A senior US official confirmed that the Iranian strikes did hit the Jordan base, striking one A-10 Warthog and lightly damaging eight F-15 jets. Jordan’s military reported that its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 ballistic missiles fired during the attack.

Tensions also remain high over Iran's nuclear facilities, particularly at Pickaxe Mountain. Trump warned Tehran "not to get cute" after noting "a little activity" at the suspected underground site.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed that remote satellite imagery showed movement around the construction site, though he noted the agency has never been permitted to inspect it. The warnings come as the IAEA referred Iran to the UN Security Council for non-compliance, prompting Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian security official, to warn that such moves could force countries to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether.

On the water and in the markets, the pressure is mounting. Brent crude has surged past $100 a barrel as hostilities intensify. On Tuesday, US forces struck five Iranian tankers following attempted missile attacks on an American warship, bringing the total number of targeted tankers to nine. "You're going to see a lot more," Trump warned.

US Central Command reported on Thursday that its forces have redirected 96 commercial vessels to enforce a strict blockade of Iranian ports, while permitting more than 50 humanitarian aid ships to pass. To further squeeze Tehran, the US Treasury has imposed fresh sanctions targeting Iranian financial networks across Iraq, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.

On the ground, regional allies continue to clash. Israel announced it had destroyed Hezbollah’s largest underground complex on the Ali al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, a strategic outpost reportedly built over two decades with Iranian funding. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi militants captured the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha, gaining fresh leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital chokepoint for global shipping.