The United States will not launch an attack on Iran before the midterm elections for Congress on November 3, said President Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a post on the social network Truth Social.
Trump indicated that Washington is holding "productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran". The US president did not specify which representatives are participating in the talks and what the specific topics of discussion are.
At the same time, the blockade of Iranian ports continues. Trump said that oil continues to pass through the Strait of Hormuz - a key sea route for global energy supplies.
Pressure before the vote
Two days earlier, Trump said that no one knows who runs Iran. The decision not to launch an attack before the elections comes against the backdrop of an ongoing military conflict and growing domestic political pressure on the US administration.
According to information cited by Reuters, the war against Iran is unpopular among Americans. The conflict has led to an increase in fuel prices, which has also contributed to high inflation in the US. The president's approval rating has reached a record low.
Polls indicate that in the elections on November 3, the Republican Party may lose control of both houses of Congress. The elections will determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the next political period.
Trump's position leaves open the question of what Washington will do after the vote. His statement only stated that there would be no attack before the midterm elections, without committing to further US action.
Iran will not give up uranium enrichment or hand over its previously enriched uranium, the head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, said today, as quoted by Reuters.
Rejecting the latest US threats against Iran's nuclear facilities as “nothing new”, Eslami said that enrichment is “an integral part” of the nuclear process.
Sources: bta.bg