President Trump told reporters Wednesday he thinks the Iran war ends “immediately after the election,” saying Tehran “can’t hold out any longer” and is “desperate to try and affect the election,” Reuters reported. U.S. midterms are Nov. 3. BBC noted he offered no proof of an election-influence claim. At a GOP midterm convention, Reuters and CNBC said he warned on Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz: “I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard.”
Reuters cited a Wall Street Journal report that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio privately warned the conflict could run through January 2029; Reuters could not immediately verify that report. Preliminary shiptracking put Wednesday Hormuz commodity transits near 7, versus about 14 on a 10-day average; that transit count is not Iran’s claim of attacking 10 ships. Saudi civil defence issued Khamis Mushait alerts a fourth time in 24 hours, then an all-clear. Diplomacy remains unfinalized.
Sources: Reuters Middle East, Sep. 10, 2026; BBC; CNBC; Al Arabiya English shiptracking.
