Mike Johnson, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, says he is confident that his Republican Party will retain control of the chamber despite the unpopularity of the war on Iran.
Asked by Fox News on Sunday whether Republicans could win in the midterm elections in November if the conflict is still ongoing, Johnson said: “Absolutely”.
However, he added that “it would be helpful to get that thing resolved” before the vote on November 3.
Johnson made the comment at a time of increased public frustration with the war, which has led to a spike in oil prices and fuelled inflation as the national debt balloons in the US.
The House speaker, a close ally of President Donald Trump, said even if the war is not finished by November, Republicans will still win.
“People know we took the head off the snake,” Johnson said of Iran. “We had to make sure the largest state sponsor of terrorism did not have a nuclear weapon.”
The Trump administration argues that attacking Iran was to ensure that the country cannot obtain a nuclear bomb, but Tehran denies seeking one.
Trump’s own intelligence chief told lawmakers last year that there was no evidence of a nuclear weaponisation drive by Iran.
Despite the assertion that the war was necessary, the Trump administration has struggled to win over public support for the conflict.
Numerous public opinion polls have suggested that most voters, including a significant portion of Republicans, want the fighting to end.
US and Israeli forces attacked Iran without direct provocation on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other top officials as well as hundreds of civilians .
Iran responded by closing down the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery for the global energy trade, and firing drones and missiles at US interests across the Middle East.
Since an initial ceasefire was announced in April, the conflict has seen multiple rounds of fighting and sporadic trading of attacks.
Over the past few weeks, the fighting has largely subsided, but Trump has announced “crushing” economic measures against Tehran as the global economy braces for intense sanctions on Iran and countries that do business with it.
Iran, however, has remained defiant, asserting it will not give up control of the Strait of Hormuz .
Its closure has sent oil and gas prices soaring around the world, including in the US, where one gallon (3.8 litres) of petrol has risen above $4, up from less than $3 before the war.
In recent days, US officials have suggested that American forces control the strait, stressing that large quantities of oil are passing through the waterway via a southern corridor that hugs Oman’s shores.
But petrol prices have continued to hover above $4 in the US despite these reports.
Johnson on Sunday underscored the supposedly increased flow of oil through Hormuz.
“We’re getting the job done step by step,” the House speaker told Fox News. “You can’t trust the Iranians on the other side of the negotiating table. That’s the challenge. But I believe our allied nations are going to assist in the next phase as we get this finished.”
