Trump officials say Iran misreads impact of midterms

Officials reject election calculation

Trump administration officials say Iran is making a mistake if it expects the November midterm elections to weaken President Donald Trump’s negotiating position. Trump said Iranian leaders are waiting to assess his standing after the election, but he said the result would not affect his decisions on Iran. He also noted that he is not on the ballot.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Tehran should not treat the midterms as a limit on presidential authority. State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Trump holds the negotiating advantage.

Talks continue without an announced deal

Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials held a three-hour meeting Tuesday as part of efforts to end the nearly seven-month conflict. Rubio cautioned against describing the session as a major breakthrough.

A U.S. official characterized discussions conducted through mediators as positive and constructive but said Washington was not rushing to complete an agreement. The official said the United States controlled the Strait of Hormuz and that almost 40 million barrels of oil had passed through the waterway during the previous 48 hours.

Trump presented Iran with a choice during his address to the U.N. General Assembly: reach an agreement that would allow the country to rebuild or face further U.S. action.

Fuel costs add domestic pressure

The national average price for regular gasoline reached per gallon Friday, compared with a year earlier, according to AAA. The group attributed the increase to instability around the Strait of Hormuz and high crude-oil prices.

Rubio acknowledged the cost to Americans but argued that allowing Iran to eventually obtain a nuclear weapon would carry a greater long-term cost. A U.S. official said the administration expects oil and gasoline prices to return to their pre-conflict levels as it maintains control of the strait.