US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that the US will “win” its war with Iran “very soon”, while leaving open the possibility of renewed military strikes before the upcoming US midterm elections.Speaking to Fox News on Sunday (local time), Trump said ending the conflict would trigger a sharp fall in global oil prices. He reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the primary US objective.“I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war,” Trump said.Asked whether US military strikes could resume before the midterm elections, Trump declined to rule out the possibility.“I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to say that. I mean, it’s possible, but I just don’t want to say that,” he said.Trump stressed that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, calling nuclear deterrence “key to the whole thing”.Trump also claimed that Iran’s economy had been severely damaged by the pressure campaign, saying, “They have no economy.” He pointed to the fall in the value of Iran’s currency and rising prices, claiming inflation had reached nearly 300%, and citing a figure of 318%.Iran warns of ‘doomsday war’, keeps diplomacy openIranian foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, meanwhile, said Tehran was prepared for a renewed conflict with Washington, while insisting that diplomacy remained an option.In an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Araghchi said Iran was ready for a “doomsday war” and would defend itself against any new US aggression.“We care about our national interests. At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose,” he said.
