US President Donald Trump has ruled out launching an attack on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, claiming Washington and Tehran are making progress in talks to end their six-month-old war.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
“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 added.
The conflict began in February when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The war has since contributed to a decline in Trump’s domestic approval ratings and put pressure on fellow Republicans as they attempt to retain their narrow majorities in Congress.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that around 60% of Americans, including one in four Republicans, disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
The war has also driven gasoline prices sharply higher, adding to concerns over the cost of living, which remains a top issue for voters.
Trump has repeatedly predicted that oil prices will fall after the elections but has yet to outline a detailed plan for ending the war.
Meanwhile, Iran and the US have exchanged proposals in recent weeks aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for global energy supplies. However, Trump rejected Tehran’s latest offer.
Iranian state media reported on Thursday that Tehran would not abandon uranium enrichment or surrender its stockpile of uranium, citing the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
The position came days after US Vice-President JD Vance told Reuters that Iran would need to make “meaningful” reductions in its uranium enrichment capacity to end the war.
The US, Israel and their Western allies have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied.
