Trump Hints Iran War Could Resume After Midterms in Iowa
The Trump Iran war midterms connection took center stage Thursday night as President Donald Trump told supporters in Sioux City, Iowa, that the war with Iran could be finished “very soon” — while openly hinting it could flare back up after the November 3 midterm elections.
Speaking to a crowd at Sioux Gateway Airport less than two weeks before the midterms, Trump urged Republican voters to turn out as if his own name were on the ballot, according to CNN and the Des Moines Register. The rally was aimed at boosting Iowa’s top Republican candidates, including Senate nominee Ashley Hinson and gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn.
“We’re going to have Iran finished very soon. One way or the other — it’s almost insignificant to me which way — but one way or the other, it’s going to be done very soon, and your gasoline prices and your oil is going to come tumbling down,” Trump said.
Renewed strikes possible after Election Day
Behind the scenes, advisers have drawn up plans for renewed strikes in coordination with Israel that could be executed as soon as Trump gives the go-ahead, U.S. officials told CNN. Targets reportedly include Iranian nuclear sites, energy facilities, and the country’s remaining missile and drone arsenal, which officials described as potentially “short but intense” action.
One option under active consideration, according to officials, is the use of the so-called “mother of all bombs” — the largest non-nuclear ordnance in the U.S. arsenal — against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. The administration has not publicly confirmed any operational plans.
Departing the White House earlier Thursday, Trump said the United States had “knocked the hell out of them, and we may do it a little bit further,” while insisting Iran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. He said he does not intend to resume strikes before Election Day, mindful that the war has proven deeply unpopular at home, including among many of his own supporters.
$150 million for U.S. refining capacity
Trump also used the Sioux City rally to announce that his administration would invoke the Defense Production Act to release $150 million to expand domestic diesel and gasoline refining capacity.
“Tonight, I am announcing that my administration is using the Defense Production Act to release $150 million to increase American refining capacity and produce more diesel and more gasoline,” he told the crowd. “We already have a lot of crude oil — more than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined. What we need, though, is refineries, and we are building them quickly.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the funds would be spent alongside private companies to bolster existing refineries and infrastructure, according to reporting from the rally.
War weighs on Iowa voters
The Iran war has become a political liability for the White House, drawing skeptical reactions even from loyal supporters in Iowa. High gas and diesel prices have hurt the state’s farmers, making it more expensive to transport products, and two service members from Iowa have died in the conflict, CNN reported.
Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, who appeared with Trump at the rally, has struck a delicate balance. She voted against a House resolution — backed by two vulnerable Iowa GOP lawmakers — that would have limited Trump’s power to continue the war. At the same time, she has called the war too expensive and urged Trump to bring it to a “successful and immediate end.”
Some Iowa Republicans voiced unease directly. Christine Brenden, a paralegal and staunch Trump supporter, told CNN that a fuel fill-up had risen to 60 dollars and feared prices would soar again. Retired lawyer Scott Rhinehart, another loyal Republican, said other countries should decide whether to join in or stay out.
Pretend I’m on the ballot
Trump framed the midterms as a referendum on his presidency, telling the Sioux City crowd, “I’m asking you to pretend I’m running. Pretend I’m on the ballot,” according to the Des Moines Register.
He also boasted about immigration enforcement and falling violent crime during the remarks. With early voting underway in many states and millions of Americans already having cast ballots, the final stretch of the campaign is now focused on turning out base voters in tight races like Iowa’s Senate contest.
- Where: Sioux Gateway Airport, Sioux City, Iowa
- When: Thursday, October 22, 2026
- Key pledge: Iran war finished “very soon,” could resume after midterms
- Energy move: $150M via Defense Production Act to expand refining capacity
- Midterm message: “Pretend I’m on the ballot”
What’s next
With the November 3 midterms less than two weeks away, the administration’s next moves on Iran remain uncertain — Trump has backed away from similar threats before. RadioSea will continue tracking both the campaign and any developments in the conflict.