Trump claims Iran is 'making up fake hits' on tankers to drive up oil costs ahead of elections

Trump accused Iran of fabricating reports of tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs the White House en route to Iowa, in Washington, DC, US, October 22, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)OCTOBER 23, 2026 04:17Updated: OCTOBER 23, 2026 04:30US President Donald Trump accused Iran of fabricating reports of attacks on oil tankers and naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz to drive up oil prices ahead of the November midterm elections in a Truth Social post on Thursday.“Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the US Midterm Election,” Trump wrote.“They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict."Trump also accused Iran's regime of killing protesters and reaffirmed his commitment that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.The post came as Trump continued to defend the US campaign against Iran and its impact on American energy prices ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.US President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, US, October 22, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci)Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for a campaign rally in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said the war had come at a political cost but maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was necessary.“There’s a price to pay, which I knew immediately when I did it,” Trump said. “But we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”Asked about public reaction to the war, Trump said Americans had mixed feelings about the campaign.“In one way they love it because I’m doing what should have been done by other presidents. In another way, maybe they don’t,” he said.Trump also suggested the US could carry out further military action against Iran, saying Washington had already inflicted significant damage but “may do it a little bit further.”Tensions surrounding the Strait of HormuzThe Strait of Hormuz has remained a key point of contention during the conflict, as attacks on commercial shipping and restrictions on maritime traffic have threatened the flow of oil through the waterway.Iran's IRGC Navy reported that four oil tankers were hit and caught fire overnight, according to the Iranian state media IRNA. The incidents added to concerns about a renewed escalation in the region and the potential effects on global energy supplies.Trump, meanwhile, argued that oil was moving through the strait at a higher rate than before the war, despite what he described as fabricated reports of attacks.Follow us on Google