Trump Accuses Iran of Inventing Maritime Attacks to Raise Oil Prices

President Donald Trump accused Iran on October 22 of inventing reports of maritime attacks and mines to push oil prices higher before the U.S. midterm election. In a Truth Social post, he claimed that more oil was moving through the Strait of Hormuz than before the conflict. Those assertions were Trump’s account, rather than independently established findings in the statement. He also accused Iran’s authorities of killing protesters and reiterated his opposition to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. His post linked the alleged shipping reports to an effort to influence American voters.