Politics & Diplomacy
Trump: “We will not be attacking Iran” before the November 3 midterm elections, as the blockade stays
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on October 8 that the United States will not attack Iran at any time before the November 3 midterm elections, while the naval blockade remains in full force. The pledge came hours after reports that the Pentagon was preparing to resume major operations.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Donald Trump wrote on Thursday, October 8, in a post on Truth Social (archived copy), adding that the United States will not attack Iran before the midterm elections on November 3.
“I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily, and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait (22 Million Barrels, last night alone, with not one barrel coming from, or going to, Iran!), we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd,” he wrote. The post ends: “IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” The oil-flow figure is Trump’s own claim.
A turn after talk of new strikes
The pledge comes hours after Trump told reporters late on Wednesday that his administration is weighing new strikes on Tehran before the elections, and after a series of reports about planning for such operations. They included the Axios report that the Pentagon told CENTCOM to complete preparations to resume major operations.
At a campaign rally in Texas on Wednesday, Trump said he does not really want to make a deal with Iran, but that Tehran is willing to offer anything to stop the war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran is examining the US response to the “seven-day plan” for Hormuz and will reply in a few days. Iran’s positions on the strait are set out in our earlier report and in the coverage of the seven-day proposal.
The post does not say what will happen after November 3, and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. Tehran has not reacted publicly so far.
