Officials Discuss Iran War and Regional De-escalation

President Donald Trump said he expects the U.S.-Iran war to end by or shortly after the November midterm elections and that gasoline prices will fall sharply, while insisting any agreement meet Washington’s terms. The conflict remains volatile, with Saudi Arabia accusing Iran-backed Houthi rebels of attacks that injured two people and damaged a mosque and other buildings near the Yemeni border. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to help halt regional escalation and attacks on Arab states and support a sustainable political settlement; Egypt also consulted with the UAE and Algeria on regional developments, bilateral cooperation and Libya. Egypt and the International Atomic Energy Agency discussed Iran’s nuclear program, diplomacy and cooperation ahead of the agency’s General Conference, while Oman and Algeria called for restraint, de-escalation and diplomatic solutions. At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Al-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed increasing bilateral trade to $12 billion and expanding cooperation in several sectors, but announced no new investments.