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President Donald Trump has said the United States will not attack Iran before November’s midterm elections, pointing to what he described as productive discussions with Tehran aimed at ending the months-old war. The statement, posted on social media on Thursday, set an unusually explicit link between military decisions and the domestic electoral calendar.
The announcement came despite continued attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia attributed to Tehran-backed militants in Yemen. It also followed reporting that senior officials had recently discussed options including an intense multi-day bombing campaign, and that Washington had asked the Pentagon to prepare plans.
Trump has previously said stepped-up strikes were possible after the elections, and last month the Pentagon deployed an additional aircraft carrier with some 10,000 sailors and Marines to the Persian Gulf, bolstering two carriers already in the region. That build-up gives commanders more options should the president reverse course later.
The war, which began in February, has weighed on the president’s approval ratings and on Republican candidates defending narrow congressional majorities. Recent polling cited in coverage of the announcement suggested about six in ten Americans disapproved of his handling of Iran, with fuel prices and the cost of living at the top of voter concerns.
Iran and the United States have exchanged proposals in recent weeks aimed at ending the war and reopening the strait, though the president rejected Tehran’s latest offer. Iranian officials were reported this week to have said Tehran would not abandon uranium enrichment, leaving the central dispute unresolved even as the pre-election pause takes hold.
