President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and insisted that November’s midterm elections won’t make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that’s spurred unease across the global economy.
Trump made these comments at a meeting with his Cabinet, just days after insisting that his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a settlement. Negotiations are still in a state of flux as Trump risks finding that closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.
🇺🇸 Trump says Iran thought they could wait him out, banking on the midterms and political pressure. He dismissed it, saying he does not care about the midterms and pointing to recent events as proof they are already misreading the situation and the pressure is only increasing. pic.twitter.com/UgLNtrPxI7
— WAR (@warsurv) May 27, 2026
The president is looking for a settlement that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him with a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans.
The emerging deal puts off many critical issues that are to be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to fierce criticism, even from some of his own supporters, that Iran’s hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened. It all comes to a head just as the midterm elections to determine control of Congress come into focus and as Republicans worry that rising costs and fuel prices are darkening the American electorate’s mood.
| Trump's Iran Strategy & The Midterms | |
|---|---|
| Category | Details |
| The Statement | During a recent Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump asserted that the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections will carry no weight in shaping his strategy to end the ongoing war with Iran. |
| The Status of Talks | Trump claimed that Tehran is "negotiating on fumes" and that a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict is close, though he admitted his administration is not entirely satisfied with the terms yet. |
| Key Objectives | The administration is seeking a settlement that permanently reopens the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and forces Iran to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. |
| Political Friction | The conflict has caused economic anxiety—specifically rising fuel costs—heading into a crucial election season. Meanwhile, GOP allies like Sens. Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz are scrutinizing the emerging deal, warning it resembles the scrapped Obama-era nuclear agreement. |
| The Midterm Factor | Despite concerns that the war's economic fallout could darken the electorate's mood and threaten Republican control of Congress, Trump dismissed the pressure, stating: "I don't care about the midterms. We will just have to finish the job." |
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