Trump Rules Out U.S. Strikes on Iran Before November 3 Midterms

President Donald Trump said the United States would not resume military strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, while describing continuing talks with Tehran as “productive.”

Trump’s statement Thursday followed reports by several U.S. news organizations, citing unnamed officials, that the Pentagon had prepared options for renewed attacks and that U.S. Central Command had been told to prepare for possible major combat operations. Trump did not rule out military action after the election.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was reviewing a U.S. response to an Iranian proposal under which the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days. He said Iran could deliver a formal reply within days and that the diplomatic process remained under way.

Trump said special envoy Steve Witkoff was continuing negotiations, although he also told supporters at a rally in San Antonio that an agreement was not necessarily his preferred outcome. He said the U.S. naval blockade would remain in place.

The current negotiations follow the collapse of an interim agreement signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in June. That accord was intended to establish a 60-day ceasefire and a framework for a permanent agreement but broke down amid renewed military action and disputes over the Strait of Hormuz.

Separately, Iranian atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said Iran would not abandon uranium enrichment or surrender its uranium, calling enrichment an inseparable part of the country’s nuclear program.