Iran Escalation Makes More Sense After Midterms, Hochstein Says

A military escalation in Iran “makes more sense” after November’s midterm elections than before those votes happen, a White House energy adviser to former President Joe Biden said Thursday.

“The midterms are largely about the weakness of the president that is a result of the war; doubling down on that weakness seems to be a little bit suspect for me,” Amos Hochstein, who served as special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security under Biden, said on Bloomberg Television.

Hochstein was asked about a report the White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up strike options against Iran that could be executed before the midterm elections, news that sent the price of oil higher earlier this week.