US President Donald Trump during a campaign event at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
Christopher Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm election, explicitly tying the timing of potential further military action to the domestic political calendar.
“We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that the U.S. was having “productive discussions” with Tehran.
Trump’s declaration came after he told reporters late Wednesday that his administration was considering renewed strikes against Tehran before the election, helping send oil prices higher amid fears of further escalation. Brent crude rose more than 4% Thursday to above $104 a barrel.
Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran would remain in place and reiterated that Tehran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
It’s a shift from his posture less than a day ago. At a campaign rally Wednesday night, Trump said a deal with Iran was “not really something that I wanted to do.”
The more diplomatic tone comes as voters are already casting midterm ballots and public support for the war has fallen. Just 31% of Americans supported U.S. military action against Iran in an August Reuters/Ipsos poll, down from 37% in March, while 83% expected the conflict to be prolonged.
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