No Strikes on Iran Before US Midterms, Trump Says, But Escalation Remains on the Table
Trump said the US “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd”.
By Sakshi
New Delhi, October 9: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would not launch military strikes against Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. While campaigning for Republicans this week, Trump suggested that the war could end in the days before or after the election. He also indicated that he remained open to resuming full-scale military operations against Iran.
For weeks, Trump has threatened that an escalation after the midterm elections remains a possibility, despite his initial assurances to Americans that the military campaign would last only a matter of weeks.
Trump’s Statement on the Iran Conflict
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said the US “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd”. His team had been “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran”, Trump added.
In June, the United States and Iran negotiated a temporary agreement to establish a 60-day ceasefire and lay the groundwork for a permanent peace deal. The agreement, signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, collapsed within weeks amid renewed military action and disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil flowed before the war.
Negotiations Between the Two Nations
Negotiations appeared to have stalled after Trump publicly rejected Iran’s proposal late last month to reopen the strait within seven days if the US met certain conditions. Iran, however, said last week that it had received a US counterproposal. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier on Thursday that Tehran was expected to deliver a formal response within days.
At a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday, Trump said his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had continued indirect negotiations with Iranian officials. At the same time, Trump suggested he had mixed feelings about ending the war at this stage. “I think the deal isn't really something that I want to do, but they're willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump said.
The Strait of Hormuz Conflict
Trump believes the US is gaining leverage as its military makes greater efforts to help oil tankers navigate the Strait of Hormuz and transport Gulf allies’ oil to international markets, while a US naval blockade is restricting Iran’s own oil exports.
Iran has lost much of its control over oil flows through the vital waterway, with the US Central Command escorting oil tankers through the strait at night with their location systems switched off.
Along with the use of Gulf pipelines that bypass the strait, these measures have allowed Gulf countries to export oil at nearly pre-war levels. However, Iran has intensified attacks on tankers passing through the strait in recent days. Overall, ship traffic remains well below pre-war levels, as do shipments of liquefied natural gas and fuel products. Tanker operators willing to risk navigating the strait under Central Command’s protection are, in some cases, charging rates of USD 1 million a day or more, shipping analysts say.
The situation has become more complicated as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government have launched a military campaign aimed at driving Iran-backed Houthi rebels from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical Middle Eastern trade route for oil and other goods.
The Houthis, in turn, have targeted Saudi airports and key infrastructure in the kingdom with drone and missile strikes.
US Military Deploys More Resources to the Region
Trump’s announcement came as the US military deployed additional resources to the region. US officials have said that a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, along with thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships, could arrive as early as the end of October.
Trump’s announcement came on the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was due to arrive at its home port in San Diego after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran war.
There have been reports of crew stress and mental health concerns, as well as shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products.
The USS George Washington, which is usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George H W Bush, has been deployed for about six months but stopped in Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.
(Inputs from AP)
