MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. A US ground operation against Iran later this year cannot be ruled out, Russian International Affairs Council Vice President Mikhail Margelov said in an interview with TASS.

"[US President Donald] Trump will have a free hand after the midterm elections, while he and the Republic Party are prepared for relatively weak results. In fact, a scenario cannot be ruled out where he will act in the Greater Middle East region like a bull in a china shop. He would have no personal red lines left," the expert pointed out. "Trump will make decisions depending on how much Republicans lose, whether it is only the House or the Senate," he added.

In Margelov’s view, for Trump, "it’s not the Strait of Hormuz itself that matters, or the need to ensure freedom of navigation, which ordinary Americans care little about. "What’s crucial for him is domestic gasoline prices in the US." "If he manages to prevent prices from rising, or, even better, make sure they decline, it would amount to a domestic political success for him," the analyst explained. "Time will tell what happens after the November vote but I would not rule out a ground operation in the wake of the midterm congressional elections. I think we could see something at the end of 2026," Margelov concluded.