US President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Iran of intentionally delaying negotiations over a peace agreement in hopes of securing more favorable terms after the November midterm elections.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump claimed Iranian leaders believed they could “out-wait” his administration by prolonging tensions and increasing economic pressure through threats to the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
“They thought they were going to out-wait me, you know, ‘We’ll out wait him, he’s got the midterms,’” Trump said.
The president dismissed the idea that domestic political considerations would influence his approach to negotiations, pointing instead to recent Republican primary victories as evidence of continued political support.
“I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump said, apparently referring to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s primary win over Senator John Cornyn, whom Trump had opposed.
Trump argued that Iran’s worsening economic conditions were forcing Tehran toward compromise. He described the Iranian economy as being in severe crisis, citing soaring inflation and a collapsing currency.
“They have 250% inflation, their money has no value, their whole economic system is broken down,” he said.
The remarks came as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending nearly three months of conflict between the United States and Iran reportedly entered a critical phase. Trump acknowledged that negotiations had not yet produced an agreement because Washington remained dissatisfied with the proposed terms.
“But we will be,” he said. “Either that, or we will just have to finish the job.”
Trump also addressed the future of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s energy supplies passed before the conflict escalated. Asked whether he would accept a temporary arrangement giving Iran and Oman greater control over the strait, Trump rejected the idea.
“The strait is going to be open to everybody. Nobody is going to control it,” he said. “It’s international waters.”
He added that reopening the waterway would be one of the immediate outcomes of any future agreement.
During the meeting, Trump renewed calls for additional Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to join the Abraham Accords and formally recognize Israel. At one point, he suggested such recognition should be linked to any broader regional agreement, though he later softened his position and declined to specify whether the Iran negotiations were contingent on expanding the accords.
Trump also made controversial remarks regarding leadership changes in Iran, claiming US actions had effectively reshaped the country’s ruling structure through the elimination of senior Iranian figures during the conflict.
“We are dealing with a completely different group of people than we were at the beginning,” Trump said.
The cabinet meeting was originally scheduled to take place at Camp David, the presidential retreat historically associated with major Middle East negotiations, but was moved back to the White House due to poor weather forecasts.
The gathering took place amid declining approval ratings for Trump and rising economic concerns linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump recently claimed that a peace agreement was close, US forces reportedly carried out strikes on Iranian targets earlier this week, killing several members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps even as negotiations continued.
Trump has also faced criticism from some conservative commentators and anti-Iran hawks who argue that the emerging deal could be too favorable to Tehran. In a social media post Tuesday, he attacked major US media outlets for portraying the negotiations as a potential political setback for his administration.
Among those attending Wednesday’s cabinet meeting was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who recently announced plans to resign from her position. Trump praised Gabbard for her leadership of the intelligence community despite previous disagreements over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Tulsi has worked tirelessly to restore trust and focus within the intelligence community,” Trump said, prompting applause from cabinet members.
