The U.S. won't attack Iran before the November midterm elections, President Trump said Thursday, citing "productive" talks with Tehran.
"We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd. IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!"
The U.S. naval blockade of Tehran "will remain in full force and effect," Trump added. The U.S. currently has about a dozen Navy ships in the waters of the Middle East to enforce the blockade and carry out other missions, according to a Navy official.
The comments come after multiple media reports this week that the White House was considering striking Iran before the elections and had asked the Pentagon to develop strike options against Iranian targets to do so.
Iran has ramped up its attacks on commercial tankers seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, putting pressure on the U.S. to respond to the growing aggression. An attack on an oil tanker north of Qatar -- deep inside the Persian Gulf -- has also raised fears among traders that Iran's strikes on shipping are spreading beyond the strait. Oil prices jumped Thursday amid concerns about attacks threatening tanker operations that have helped keep oil flowing despite the conflict.
The war with Iran has become a political liability for Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, with prices for both gasoline and diesel rising nationwide and voters questioning if Trump was breaking his pledge to avoid new "forever wars." Some vulnerable candidates from Trump's own party have called for an end to the conflict and for other measures to help mitigate the impact of high energy prices, such as suspending the federal gasoline tax.
Election watchers now see the House likely flipping to Democratic control, with the Senate also in play, in large part due to voters' concerns with higher prices and uncertainty about the war.
The U.S. military has been preparing a range of options to strike Iran, including operations that could be executed before the midterms, according to officials familiar with the planning.
A fresh aircraft-carrier strike group and Marine expeditionary unit are steaming toward the Middle East, and the Pentagon is weighing sending additional air-defense equipment and munitions to bases in the region, the officials said.
The new ships are set to join the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as well as nine guided-missile destroyers and three ships transporting Marines, according to the Navy official.
Trump has publicly mulled attacking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, and he has previously ordered strikes on Iranian targets near the strait to hamper Iran's ability to attack commercial ships in the critical shipping lane.
Iranian officials have criticized Trump in the past for building up firepower in the region during negotiations and say it has contributed to a deep distrust between the two countries.