Washington, D.C., USA – President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections in the United States. Trump, while stumping for Republicans this week, had hinted that he was confident an endgame to the war could come in the days before or after the election, while also hinting that he remained open to resuming full-scale military operations against Iran.
For weeks, Trump has threatened that a post-midterm election escalation in the seven-month-old war remains a viable option, despite his initial promises to Americans of a military campaign that would last a matter of weeks. But Trump in a social media post on Thursday said the U.S. “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd”.
Trump added that his team has been “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran”. The announcement followed a surge in oil prices on Thursday driven by media reports suggesting potential new US strikes prior to those elections. The Atlantic magazine reported that the White House had asked the Pentagon to develop options to strike Iranian targets that could be used before the midterms, while the New York Times published a similar report.
Negotiations had appeared at a standstill since Trump late last month publicly rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. met certain conditions. Iran, however, said last week they had received a U.S. counterproposal. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said he expected Tehran would offer a formal reply within days.
Trump’s post comes as the military has dispatched 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 early as the end of October. The announcement was made the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was due to arrive to its home port in San Diego after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran war. There have been reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages.
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The midterm elections will shape the final two years of Trump’s presidential term as his Republican Party risks losing its current grip on Congress. Although Trump is not on the ballot, he is holding numerous rallies in an attempt to limit the damage or even turn the political tide. Trump has warned he faces a possible third impeachment if Democrats retake the House of Representatives, and the White House is preparing for a slew of investigations into corruption and abuse of power
