President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will not be “attacking” Iran ahead of the midterm elections, which are now just weeks away.
In a post on Truth Social, the president said “productive discussions” with Iran are underway. He also said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil moves, will remain in place.
The announcement comes as Iranian attacks on tankers in the area have reportedly increased in recent days.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote. “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.”
The president closed the post with a firm warning to Tehran.
“IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” he wrote.
Trump’s statement follows a report from The Atlantic this week, which cited two administration officials who said the president had been weighing new strikes on Iran in an effort to “win” over voters before the Nov. 3 elections. According to that report, officials were still discussing the possibility of fresh strikes.
The president’s announcement arrives as polling has shown his support slipping amid the ongoing war, elevated gas prices and other rising costs.
Some Republicans have voiced concern about the impact that Trump and the war could have on GOP candidates running in the midterms.
That concern has surfaced in at least one high-profile Senate race. In recently leaked audio, Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton pointed to the Iran war and high gas prices as the “biggest problem” facing his campaign.
Paxton’s campaign is at risk of losing to Democrat James Talarico, who has been leading in recent polling.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained a focal point of the conflict. With roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passing through the waterway, the blockade and the reported uptick in Iranian attacks on tankers have kept the region at the center of attention.
In his post, Trump emphasized that oil is still moving through the strait in large volumes, pointing to 22 million barrels that he said passed through in a single night. He stressed that none of that oil was coming from or going to Iran.
The president also made clear that the pressure on Tehran will continue, saying the blockade will remain “in full force and effect” even as discussions with the Islamic Republic move forward.
With the midterm elections set for Nov. 3, Trump’s pledge effectively rules out new U.S. strikes on Iran for the remainder of the campaign season, even as the war and its economic effects continue to weigh on voters and on Republicans hoping to hold their ground at the ballot box.
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