TRUMP said on Wednesday at the start of a WHITE HOUSE Cabinet meeting that if
Iran expects him to soften his stance to avoid a prolonged standoff with Tehran,
they are miscalculating. "They think they can outlast me. I don't care about the
midterm elections," he said. During the three-month war between the US and Iran,
with the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, inf rising and gasoline prices
climbing, TRUMP's approval has slipped. Critics say TRUMP has led the US into a
Middle East conflict with no defined end date, despite his vow as a candidate to
avoid such wars. TRUMP responded, "I don't call it a war, I call it a conflict."
He signaled he is prepared to continue negotiations but did not rule out further
military action. He said Iran's economy is already unsustainable, "inf rate as
high as 250%."
