Trump says US will not resume military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. In a social media post, he stated the U.S. “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections… on November 3rd,” adding that his team is having “productive discussions” with Iran. Trump has suggested an “endgame” could occur in the days before or after the election. The remarks follow weeks of threats of post-election escalation despite earlier promises of a short war. The U.S. and Iran’s interim June deal collapsed amid renewed actions and disputes over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations reportedly stalled after Trump rejected Iran’s proposal, though Iran says it received a U.S. counterproposal and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expects a formal reply soon.