President Donald Trump explicitly ruled out a US military strike on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, directly countering reports that the Pentagon was preparing attack options. Speaking on Truth Social, the 80-year-old leader stated that while the economic and military blockade on Tehran would remain "in full force and effect," Washington would hold off on kinetic action until after the vote. He described current talks with the Islamic Republic as "productive," though he offered no specifics on the agenda.
The clarification comes after a sharp spike in crude oil prices on Thursday. Markets had reacted nervously to Wednesday reports from The Atlantic and The New York Times, which claimed the White House had requested the Pentagon to develop strike packages despite Trump's public ambivalence. That volatility was compounded by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar reported being hit by "multiple projectiles" on Wednesday, according to the UKMTO maritime agency.
Voters are already punishing the administration for the economic fallout. Polls indicate widespread dissatisfaction with soaring fuel prices, which Trump links directly to the conflict launched by the US and Israel in February. His promise that prices will drop once the war ends has failed to resonate with a electorate that sees no end in sight. The stakes for the midterm are high: a Democratic takeover of the House would trigger a third impeachment process for Trump, a scenario the White House is already preparing for with defensive legal strategies.
Trump also spent Thursday managing a separate diplomatic firestorm. He walked back comments from a rally earlier this week where he suggested Iran could "take out" Los Angeles and San Diego, blaming "fake and artificial news" for the misinterpretation. He reframed the remark as a hypothetical argument: the price of gasoline is a small cost compared to the devastation of a nuclear-armed Iran bombing American cities. The next 24 hours will test whether this rhetorical pivot calms the markets or simply deepens the partisan divide ahead of the November 3 vote.