Trump says US will not attack Iran before Nov 3 midterm elections
President Donald Trump has said the US will not attack Iran before November 3, ruling out renewed American strikes ahead of the midterm elections. The pledge, posted on Truth Social on Thursday, came a day after reports that the White House was weighing new strikes before voters go to the polls.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
Trump said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would “remain in full force and effect”, and claimed 22 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night, none of it to or from Iran. He added that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The statement followed a report by The Atlantic on Wednesday that Trump was considering new strikes against Iran before the elections. Axios reported separately that the Pentagon had instructed US Central Command to complete preparations for a possible renewed campaign, though no final decision or attack date had been set. A White House official told The Hill that Trump retained all military options.
Oil markets reacted at once. Brent crude surged to $105 a barrel on Wednesday after the Atlantic report, then pared gains to about $103 on Thursday once Trump’s post landed. West Texas Intermediate fell to about $91, MarketWatch reported.
The administration paired the pause with fresh economic pressure. The Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Thursday against 17 vessels it said belonged to a “shadow fleet” Iran uses to move millions of barrels of oil and petrochemicals to South and East Asia in defiance of sanctions.
US will not attack Iran before November 3: why the timing matters
The war has turned into a political problem for Trump weeks before the midterms. Petrol prices in the United States are hovering around $4.36 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, and Republican candidates in tight races have begun distancing themselves from the conflict. The Wall Street Journal reported that some Republicans want the fighting to end and have urged measures such as suspending the federal petrol tax to ease prices at the pump.
Trump has sent mixed signals in recent weeks, telling supporters he had a decision in front of him on Iran while also saying the war was all but finished. “They’re a mess. But we still have to finish it off,” he said on Tuesday during remarks at a shipyard in Maryland.
Iran, for its part, shows no sign of softening on the central dispute. The country’s nuclear chief said Tehran would neither abandon uranium enrichment nor hand over its uranium stockpile, according to Dawn. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was reviewing a US proposal and would issue a formal counteroffer within days, with messages passing through mediators.
A war entering its eighth month
The conflict began with the first US strikes in March and has since drawn in a naval blockade, tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and rounds of diplomacy. Pakistan’s readers have followed the arc closely: President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week an Iran-US peace deal was “not out of reach”, Russia’s Vladimir Putin offered to mediate, and Vice President JD Vance laid down American terms for ending the war.
The Pentagon has also been building up its presence in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln was due back at its home port in San Diego on Thursday after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran campaign, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a third carrier, could reach the Middle East by the end of October, according to US officials.
Trump’s pledge rules out strikes before November 3. It says nothing about what comes after.
Related
- Vance lays down terms to end US-Iran war: enrichment must go
- Pezeshkian says Iran-US peace deal ‘not out of reach’ as war grinds on
- Putin offers to mediate Middle East war as US aircraft losses in Iran hit 81
- Debris from intercepted missiles damages kindergarten, clinic in Riyadh
FAQ
Did Trump promise never to attack Iran?
No. He only ruled out an attack before the November 3 midterm elections. His post did not take military action off the table after that date, and a White House official said the president retains all options.
Why did oil prices move on the announcement?
Brent crude jumped to $105 a barrel on Wednesday after a report that Trump was considering pre-election strikes, then eased to about $103 on Thursday after he ruled that out. Markets price the risk of disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil.
What did Trump mean by the blockade staying in force?
The US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues, with about a dozen Navy ships in Middle Eastern waters. Trump claimed 22 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night, with none originating from or destined for Iran.
How has Iran responded?
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is reviewing a US proposal and will send a formal counteroffer within days, with talks continuing through mediators. The country’s nuclear chief said Tehran would not give up uranium enrichment or hand over its stockpile.
What comes next after the midterms?
Trump has not said. The Pentagon has been told to keep strike preparations ready, and a third US aircraft carrier could arrive in the region around the end of October.
