What happened
U.S. President Donald Trump has declined to rule out the possibility of military strikes against Iran before the midterm elections. When asked about potential strikes, Trump stated that it's possible but didn't want to confirm it. He expressed confidence that the United States is winning the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Trump also said that he believes Iran won't be able to obtain a nuclear weapon and that the U.S. is winning both militarily and economically. The U.S. has maintained a naval blockade against Iranian ports since July, with 122 ships redirected to comply with the blockade.
The comments came after Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to end the conflict, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming talks on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting its naval blockade and waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
The conflict has led to an increase in oil prices, with Brent crude oil futures rising by roughly 2 percent on Monday to $106 per barrel. U.S. gas prices have remained relatively stable, with the price of regular gasoline unchanged from a week ago at $4.47 per gallon.
