President Donald Trump drew a firm line Thursday: No new U.S. attacks on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections — but the blockade will remain in place.
In a Truth Social announcement, Trump said Washington and Tehran are having “productive discussions” while reaffirming his position that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, Mediaite reported.
“[W]e will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections,” Trump wrote in his Thursday post.
The president described Iran as weakened economically and militarily. He said the blockade would continue and claimed 22 million barrels of oil had moved through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night, with none coming from or going to Iran. Those figures were Trump’s account of conditions in the waterway.
His announcement followed reporting that the administration was weighing another round of strikes before voters head to the polls.
The Atlantic reported Wednesday, citing two administration officials, that the White House had asked the Pentagon to develop options for attacks before Election Day. The potential targets, scale and decision to proceed remained under discussion, the outlet reported.
Thursday’s statement establishes a public timetable for holding off on attacks while maintaining pressure on Tehran. It did not announce a final peace agreement or commit Trump to launching strikes after the election.
The timing carries political stakes for Republicans defending their congressional majorities.
Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, acknowledged last week that the Iran conflict could jeopardize the party’s midterm prospects. Speaking on Harry Cole Saves the West, she said the president had hoped for faster progress, while defending his determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, according to Mediaite’s coverage of the interview.
Trump closed Thursday’s announcement with an emphatic warning:
“IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”
