President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States will not attack Iran before the 3 November midterm elections and that talks with Tehran have been productive.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the 3 November midterm elections. In a social-media post he wrote that the United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to those elections, and that his team has been having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The statement narrows a threat he had left open while campaigning for Republicans. The Associated Press reported that he had hinted an endgame could come in the days before or after the election, and that a post-election escalation remained an option in a war now in its seventh month.
The United States and Iran signed a short-lived interim agreement in June that was meant to set a 60-day ceasefire and a framework for a permanent deal, AP reported. Trump said he had mixed feelings about ending the war. He said the deal is not really something he wants to do, but that the other side is willing to offer anything to stop.
He tied his leverage to shipping. AP reported that he believes the U.S. military is having more success helping oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, while a Navy blockade is shutting down Iran's own oil exports. Those are his claims as relayed by AP, not an independent tally of tanker traffic.
The post is a timing limit on strikes, not a ceasefire announcement. AP did not report a new signed agreement on Thursday.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Donald Trump said the United States will not attack Iran before the 3 November midterms and that talks have been productive.
- Trump said a deal is not really something he wants, but that Iran is willing to offer anything to stop.