US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will not order the resumption of military strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections in the United States.
Trump, while trying to persuade Republicans this week, hinted that he is confident wartime payback will come in the days before or after the election, while also hinting that he remains open to resuming large-scale military operations against Iran.
For weeks, Trump has been threatening that 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 could last weeks.
But Trump In a post on social media He said on Thursday that the United States “will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections scheduled to be held in the United States on November 3.”
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Trump added that his team “had fruitful discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Negotiations have appeared stalled since Trump late last month publicly rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States meets certain conditions.
But Iran said last week that it had received a US counterproposal. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday that he expected Tehran to provide an official response within days.
Trump’s position comes as the military has sent more resources to the region. American officials said that a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, with thousands of soldiers on board and accompanying ships, could arrive at the end of October.
Trump’s announcement came on the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was scheduled to arrive at its home port in San Diego after a record deployment in support of the Iran war. There have been reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products.
The USS George Washington, usually stationed in Asia, relieved Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George H. W. Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but arrived in Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.
& Edition 2026 The Canadian Press
