Trump Claims Iran 'Making Up Everything' to Boost Oil Prices Ahead of Midterms

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on October 22 (local time) that Iran is engaging in "false propaganda" to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump stated, "Iran is doing everything it can to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections."

He went on to emphasize, "They are even making up fake claims of successful attacks (on oil tankers), sea mines, and everything else because the amount of oil currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz is greater than it was before the conflict began."

He then cited a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article titled "Oil Flowing Out of the Persian Gulf Is Greater Than Before the Iran War."

The WSJ article, published the previous day, reported that thanks to a temporary maritime shipping system under U.S. protection and alternative pipelines, oil export volumes from the Persian Gulf region have surpassed pre-war levels despite ongoing Iranian attacks.

President Trump's remarks are interpreted as a suggestion that, with high international oil prices acting as a negative factor darkening the Republican Party's midterm outlook, Iran is attempting to push up oil prices by stoking anxiety over oil transportation in order to influence the elections.

Earlier, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had struck four cargo vessels suspected of carrying oil from Gulf nations while navigating the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military escort, and that three ships sailing west of the Strait of Hormuz had struck sea mines.

Criticizing the regime, President Trump said, "(The Iranian regime) is killing protesters and everyone else who stands in their way. It is a truly wicked regime, and I only hope that the American people and the world understand how wicked they are."

He claimed, "In less than seven months (since the Iran war began), 75,000 protesters have lost their lives. The world and the 'Dumocrat Party' seem to care nothing about this."

President Trump did not provide a clear basis for his mention that 75,000 protesters had died in Iran during the war.

Last August, he had claimed that "52,000 (Iranian protesters) have died over five months."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.