President Donald Trump made a speech at the Republican party's midterm convention in Dallas, using the war with Iran as a campaign issue. He claimed that the war will end "very shortly after the election", despite it being in its seventh month and polls showing 69% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the war. Several attendees at the convention expressed support for Trump's actions, citing concerns about Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Trump also predicted that oil and gas prices will decrease once the war is over.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A series of attacks and escalating tensions have occurred in the Persian Gulf between the US and Iran. On September 5, 2026, an Iranian tanker was hit by four US missiles near Kharg Island, a key oil export hub in the Gulf, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim. The incident has not been officially confirmed by Iranian authorities or the US military.
A day later, on September 6, Iran claimed it had struck an unmanned US Navy vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, but the US Central Command denied this claim as a "total lie".
Tensions between the two countries have been escalating in recent weeks, with both sides engaging in a series of attacks and counter-attacks. On August 31, US President Donald Trump said that Kharg Island was being "blown to smithereens", prompting Iranian authorities to vow a strong response if the island is attacked.
In response to these incidents, Iran's Supreme National Security Council has announced plans to establish an exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, which will include vessels attempting to transit the waterway. Any ship entering this area will be placed on Iran's sanctions list.
Written for “Strait of Hormuz Escalation” on 2026-09-10,
grounded in this article and the 90 other(s) covering the same event.
President Donald Trump tried to turn one of his biggest political vulnerabilities into a strength for Republicans here Wednesday, making the war with Iran a key focus of his speech at the party’s midterm convention.
asserted
war → try → convention
“Does anybody here think that Iran should have a nuclear weapon?
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Iran → think → weapon
Anybody?” Trump asked the crowd at American Airlines Center, articulating the administration’s core argument for attacking Iran.
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Trump → ask → Iran
The audience responded loudly and decisively: “No!”
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audience → respond → ?
Trump also repeated a claim he made to reporters earlier in the day.
uncertain
he → repeat → day
“The war will be over very shortly after the election,” Trump said.
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Trump → say → election
“They’re hanging out for dear life, hoping that we lose, so they can deal with dumb, weak Democrats and they can have their nuclear bomb.
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they → hang → bomb
But we’re not going to let that happen.”
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that → go → ?
The war Trump once predicted would last only four or five weeks is now in its seventh month.
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Trump → predict → month
A recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey found that 69% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war.
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% → power → war
The share of Republicans who say they strongly approve of his handling of the war has dropped 18 percentage points since the spring and now stands at 30%.
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they → say → %
Several people at the convention who spoke to NBC News said Trump has earned their trust on the war.
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Trump → speak → war
“Any good thing in life is worth waiting for, and so if you put the Iran war and its ultimate conclusion in that context, I think that puts a slightly different light on it,” said Jack Etheridge, an alternate delegate from Ohio.
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Etheridge → wait → Ohio
“I mean, let’s face it: The election is part of the timeline.
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election → mean → timeline
The Iranians are taking advantage of that, I think, for their own purposes, but I think the reality is no one believes that Iran is going to defeat the United States.”
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Iran → take → States
Others echoed Trump’s demand that Iran not develop or possess a nuclear weapon.
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Iran → echo → weapon
They are an extremist theocratic dictatorship, and they would drop a nuclear bomb on Europe,” said David Lovlien, a county commissioner in Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
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Lovlien → drop → County
“We are going to save so many lives doing what we are doing over there versus doing nothing.”
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we → go → nothing
Vince Galko, a former top Pennsylvania GOP official, conceded that higher gas prices brought on by the war have stung.
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prices → concede → war
“But,” Galko added, “I also think consumers can afford to look at $4 gas for a few weeks rather than looking at a mushroom cloud over their kids’ school.”
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consumers → add → school
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said it’s on Trump to explain and sell the war to Americans.
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it → say → Americans
“If you explain to people, ‘OK, here’s your choice, would you like us to stop Iran from trying to kill or allow them to kill us?’
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them → explain → us
I think it’s a good choice.
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it → think → ?
I can defend it,” Scott said.
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Scott → defend → it
“I think he’s done the right thing.”
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he → think → thing
In his speech Wednesday, Trump predicted that oil and gas prices would come down once the war ends.
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war → predict → speech
“You know, it happens to me all the time.
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it → know → me
Guys come up, you know, ‘I wish you didn’t do the war in Iran; gasoline’s up,’” said Trump, dramatizing a conversation that he said ends with him winning the argument.
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him → come → argument
“Let me ask you one question: Can Iran have a nuclear weapon?
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Iran → let → weapon
Well, then I’m right — then I win!”
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I → ’m → ?
