Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Richard Schmiller, stated, “In some respects, Trump clearly wants to postpone some things until after the November 3rd election. However, because this war has caused high gasoline and diesel prices in the U.S., it is very unpopular. Therefore, if Trump wants to postpone it until after the midterm elections, he will be trying to sell a policy that the American people do not support, which will be difficult for him. So, if the war could end, it should be advantageous for Trump, but the question is on what conditions it ends. If he makes significant concessions to end the war, Trump will face political obstruction.” Schmiller said that Trump seems to be “caught in a dilemma.” Schmiller said, “The problem is that he was previously criticized for the terms of the June memorandum of understanding, and the conditions that Iran is currently proposing are very similar to those in the memorandum. Therefore, if he takes ‘concessions’ before the election, such as unfreezing Iranian assets or lifting sanctions on Iranian oil, Trump may be politically disadvantaged. So I think he is trying to find a middle ground: on the one hand, telling the American people ‘this will all be over soon,’ and on the other hand, not actually letting the war end before the election.”
