Trump says US will not resume military strikes on Iran before midterm elections

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would not order a resumption of military strikes against Iran before November 3. midterm elections in the United States.

Trump, while clashing with Republicans this week, suggested he was confident an end to the war could come in the days before or after the election, while hinting he remained open to resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.

For weeks, Trump has threatened that a post-midterm election escalation in a seven-month-old war remains a viable option, despite his initial promises to Americans of a military campaign that last a few weeks.

But Trump said in a social media post Thursday that the United States “will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections to be held in the United States on November 3.”

Trump added that his team had “had productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The United States and Iran signed a short-term interim agreement in June intended to establish a 60-day ceasefire and a framework for a permanent peace deal.

The agreement signed by Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian collapsed within weeks, amid renewed military actions and conflicts over control of Iran. Strait of Hormuzthe critical water in which a fifth of the world’s oil flowed before the war.

Negotiations appeared to have stalled since Trump late last month. publicly rejectedThe Iranian proposal reopen the strait within seven days if the United States meets certain conditions.

Iran, however, declared last week that it had received an American counter-proposal. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday he expected Tehran to offer a formal response within days.

Trump told a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had continued indirect negotiations with Iranian officials.

But at the same time, Trump suggested he had mixed feelings about ending the war at this point.

“I think the deal is not really something I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop it,” Trump said.

Trump believes the United States is gaining influence as the U.S. military becomes more successful in helping oil tankers cross the border. Strait of Hormuz and move oil from Gulf allies to markets, while a navy blockade puts a stop to Iran’s own oil exports.

Iran has lost its near stranglehold on oil flows through this vital waterway, with U.S. Central Command guiding tankers through the strait at night with their tracking systems turned off.

Thanks to Gulf pipelines running along the strait, this has allowed Gulf countries to export oil at near pre-war levels.

But Iran has stepped up attacks on oil tankers crossing the strait in recent days. And overall, maritime traffic remains well below prewar levels, as do shipments of liquefied natural gas and petroleum products.

Tanker operators willing to risk ending up under the protection of Central Command are in some cases charging rates of $1 million a day or more, according to shipping analysts.

The situation has become even more complicated as Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government launched a military campaign intended to drive Iran-backed Houthi rebels of the Strait of Bab el-Mandebanother vital Middle East trade route for oil and other goods. The Houthis, in turn, are targeting Saudi airports and key infrastructure in the kingdom with drone and missile strikes.

Trump’s post comes as the military did sent more resources to the region. U.S. officials have said a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships could arrive as soon as late October.

Trump’s announcement came the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was must happen to its home port in San Diego after a deployment of record duration in support of the war in Iran. There was crew stress reports and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.

The USS George Washington, usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George HW Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but stopped in Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.