DUBLIN: US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the Iran war would likely end soon after November’s midterm elections and predicted that oil prices would fall sharply once the Middle East conflict ends.
“I think very soon, I think it’ll be right after the midterms, actually,” Trump said on a trip to Ireland when asked by reporters when the Iran war is likely to end. “I would say shortly, and oil will come tumbling down when that happens.”
“They’re trying to hold out as long as they can to complicate the election. But I think people are wise to it,” Trump told reporters in Dublin.
Iran war will end ‘I think VERY SOON, probably right after the midterms’ — Trump
‘And oil prices will come tumbling down when that happens’ https://t.co/x3FRrej07f pic.twitter.com/ymJ15jX5cU
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) September 12, 2026
Oil prices retreated on Friday, but notched sharp weekly gains after soaring above $100 a barrel for the first time in months.
Brent crude oil futures, the global benchmark, settled down 2.8 percent at $104.61 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate was down 2.4 percent to settle at $100.05 per barrel. On Thursday, Brent crude peaked at around $108 a barrel, while WTI hit more than $104.
On Wednesday, Trump also said that the war with Iran would end “immediately” after the US midterm elections.
“I think the war’s going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump told reporters before travelling to Dallas for a Republican Party midterm convention.
US military redirected 100 ships
The US military said on Saturday that it has pushed back 100 commercial vessels in the past 60 days under its blockade of Iranian ports.
“ZERO ships have passed through the blockade without US forces allowing. American service members remain laser-focused on this mission,” US Central Command said on X.
CENTCOM forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days since America 🇺🇸 resumed the steel wall blockade against Iran. ZERO ships have passed through the blockade without U.S. forces allowing. American service members remain laser focused on this mission. pic.twitter.com/tIV2fvtuG6
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 12, 2026
Iran blocked the strategic Strait of Hormuz after the US and Israel launched attacks on Tehran in late February.
In response, the United States has sought to prevent ships from travelling to and from Iranian ports to deprive Tehran of revenue.
Trump says NATO, Europe ‘very disappointing’ on Iran
Earlier, Trump, speaking in Dublin, slammed NATO and European countries as “very disappointing in many ways” on the Iran war.
Trump used a stop in Dublin on Saturday to renew his criticism of NATO and European governments, reviving a months-long dispute over the alliance’s response to the war with Iran.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump’s in Europe and once again he’s pissed with NATO… what a surprise
“NATO didn’t want to help us with the Strait.
We give all that money to NATO.
Why the hell are we helping them? So you’ll be hearing that later.”
Writers: Mhedi, Ianpic.twitter.com/9ISofA8k5t https://t.co/BU4RcYdtCm
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 12, 2026
“NATO didn’t want to help us with the Strait [of Hormuz], even though we don’t get any oil from the strait,” Trump said, calling the alliance and Europe more broadly “very disappointing in many ways.”
He also touted the performance of American forces in the conflict, saying “everyone’s seen the dominance of American military equipment” in Iran, and claimed the Strait of Hormuz had been fully cleared of naval mines: “We took out every mine. There’s no mines out there.”
