President Donald Trump on Thursday said the US will not attack Iran before the US midterm elections on November 3, saying Washington was holding “productive discussions” with Tehran.
Trump’s statement on his Truth Social platform followed a surge in oil prices on Thursday, driven by media reports suggesting potential new US strikes prior to those elections.
“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…we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” he wrote.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added, without providing additional details.
On Wednesday, The Atlantic magazine reported that the White House had requested the Pentagon to draw up options for striking Iranian targets, which could be used ahead of the midterms.
A similar report appeared in The New York Times on Thursday, stating that these plans were being developed even though Trump showed “ambivalence.”
Persistent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for the global oil trade—have also driven up crude oil prices, along with hostilities between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
As a recent indication of these tensions, an oil tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar reported being hit “by multiple projectiles,” resulting in an unspecified number of casualties, according to the UKMTO maritime agency on Wednesday.
Polls indicate that US voters are deeply unhappy about rising fuel prices, which are tied to the conflict launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.
In recent weeks, the US leader has repeatedly claimed that the United States has effectively won the Iran war, even as unrest continues and a recent security threat forced the withdrawal of American bombers from a base in England.
However, Trump’s assertions that prices will drop once the Iran war ends have so far failed to convince voters.
The midterm elections will determine the final two years of Trump’s presidential term, as his Republican Party risks losing its current control of Congress.
Even though Trump is not on the ballot, he is deeply involved in the campaign, holding numerous rallies in an effort to minimize the damage or even shift the political momentum.
Trump has cautioned that he could face a third impeachment if Democrats retake the House of Representatives, and the White House is bracing for a wave of investigations into corruption and abuse of power.
On Thursday, the US president also attempted to quell an uproar over his remarks at a rally earlier this week that Iran could “take out” the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.
Trump, 80, blamed the “fake and artificial news” for misinterpreting the remarks, which Democrats seized upon.
“In actuality, what I was talking about was that a temporary increase in the price of gasoline is a small price to pay for Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and if you want to see a big price, can you imagine what it would be like if they bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles?” Trump said on Truth Social.
