US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects a deal with Iran after the US midterm election, while also citing rising Strait of Hormuz traffic, with daily vessel movements reaching up to 37 ships.
Trump made the remarks in a United Nations General Assembly speech in New York, saying Iran could use a deal to rebuild and create "a far greater country than it ever was before."
"... I believe we'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to," Trump said, adding, "They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election."
Trump highlighted the surge in Strait of Hormuz traffic, saying flows exceeded any level since the war began. "The United States Navy has recently escorted more than 1 billion barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Trump said the US-Venezuela oil deal highlights the scale of their combined energy resources, which he said account for more than 60% of the world's oil. "Last month, we signed the largest oil deal in history, covering 65 billion barrels of oil, which will benefit both Venezuela and the United States enormously and help drive down the cost of energy all over the world," Trump said.
Most of Iran's UN delegation reportedly walked out as Trump discussed US strikes against Tehran, while President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were not seen with the delegation in the General Assembly Hall.