Trump dismisses midterm pressure, says he can outwait Iran as war nears fourth month

'I don't care about the midterms'

U.S. President Donald Trump made his most forceful dismissal yet of domestic political pressure stemming from the war with Iran during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday. He accused Tehran's leadership of trying to run out the clock, believing that looming midterm elections would weaken his negotiating position.

They thought they were going to outwait me. You know, 'We'll outwait him. He's got the midterms.' I don't care about the midterms.

The president pointed to the Republican Senate primary in Texas, where his endorsed candidate Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn, as evidence that his political instincts remain sharp. "Look at what happened last night," Trump said. "That was a prelude to the midterms."

A war dragging past its timeline

The conflict, which began on 28 February, is now approaching its fourth month — far exceeding Trump's initial prediction that it would last four to six weeks. At various points, the president has suggested a deal could be reached within days, only to later indicate fighting could continue for some time. Growing voter discontent over high prices, especially for gasoline, has increased political pressure on Republicans, who are widely expected to struggle to maintain control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.

The Strait of Hormuz emerges as a flashpoint

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become a central sticking point in negotiations. Trump insisted that under any potential framework, the strategic waterway would open immediately but would not be controlled by any single nation. "We will oversee the area, but no one will control it," he said, adding that Iran wants to control it but "no one will control it." He appeared to confuse Iran with Oman, threatening to "blow them up" if Oman did not behave like everyone else.

Iranian officials offered a starkly different vision. Ali Beghani Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated at a forum in Moscow that conditions for transit through the strait "will not be as before" and that a "totally different procedure will be established." He confirmed that Iran and Oman, as littoral states, are negotiating a new mechanism for passage.

Sanctions relief off the table

Trump was unequivocal that Iran would not receive sanctions relief in exchange for surrendering its highly enriched uranium stockpile. In a telephone interview with PBS News, he repeatedly said "no" when asked if the current framework involved lifting sanctions. "They will give up their highly enriched uranium not for sanctions relief. No, no, not at all," he insisted. The White House also dismissed a draft memorandum of understanding published by Iranian state media as "completely fabricated."

The path to a deal — or renewed fighting

Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the current terms, Trump projected confidence that an agreement would be reached. "We are not satisfied, but we will be," he said. "Either we make a deal, or we will simply have to finish the job." He pointed to the restoration of internet access in Iran as a sign that the regime's position is weakening, claiming "their entire economic system is destroyed." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reinforced the military option, stating that "the Pentagon has everything ready if the job needs to be finished."

Iran is very determined, they very much want to make a deal. So far they haven't gotten there... we are not satisfied with the situation, but we will be.

According to a draft published by Iranian media, Tehran would commit to restoring commercial maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within one month, managed in coordination with Oman. The United States would lift its siege on Iranian ports and vessels and withdraw armed forces from areas near Iran. The two countries would then have 60 days to negotiate remaining issues, including Iran's nuclear program. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that some discrepancies in the initial draft still need to be resolved, a process he said would take "a few days."