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President Trump said Thursday that he did not plan on launching new military strikes on Iran ahead of the November midterm elections, citing “productive discussions” with Tehran.
Mr. Trump’s firm rejection of pre-midterm strikes comes less than a day after several reports emerged indicating that the White House had directed the Pentagon to prepare for further military action against Iran that could be launched before the elections.
In a social media post, Mr. Trump insisted that Iran is near collapse, both militarily and economically, but that he would not authorize further strikes until after next month’s elections.
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“I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition, both economically and militarily, and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait,” he said. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
Several outlets reported Wednesday, citing unnamed administration officials, that the White House requested strike options exercisable before the elections to increase pressure on Iran and build momentum for Republicans.
The Washington Times reached out to the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command for comment.
A White House official told The Times that Mr. Trump has all options available to him and that the Iranian regime is in a state of collapse.
Prior reports indicated that President Trump was considering launching renewed attacks on Iran after the Nov. 3 elections and had opted to rely on America’s economic pressure campaign in the meantime to bring down oil and gas prices.
The naval blockade, which the Trump administration has maintained since July, has hampered Iran’s ability to export its oil, one of its primary revenue streams. The U.S. Treasury Department has also ramped up sanctions initiatives against individuals and entities tied to the Islamic republic.
On Thursday, the Treasury sanctioned 17 entities and their shadow fleet vessels that have been used to transport Iranian “petroleum or petrochemical products.” The sanctions are part of Operational Economic Outcast, which has increasingly targeted Iranian-linked financial institutions.
While oil prices have remained well above pre-war levels in recent months, the U.S. has been able to increase flow through the Strait of Hormuz via naval forces in the region, which have guided and protected commercial vessels moving through Omani waters.
CENTCOM said in a statement Thursday that 1.25 billion barrels of crude oil from Persian Gulf nations have moved through the strait in recent months.
Indeed, new military strikes on Iran would likely drive international energy prices up. New fighting would likely cause traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to grind to a halt, and Iran has signaled it would attack energy infrastructure in the region.
Iran has also begun ramping up attacks on tankers traveling through the strait, with independent tracking firms reporting more than a dozen strikes on ships since October began.
Shipping companies and insurance firms are clearly noticing the increasingly dangerous situation in the strait. Shipping traffic fell to its lowest level since July this week, with tracking firm Kpler data showing just seven commodity vessels moving through the waterway on Tuesday.
Mr. Trump’s comments on Thursday come amid stalled diplomacy between Iran and the U.S. as both sides remain at odds on future control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
Iran is reportedly still considering a U.S. proposal, delivered via mediators this week, that sought concessions on Iran’s enrichment capabilities. Iran has repeatedly refused to accept any limitations on its domestic nuclear program, arguing it has the right under international law to enrich uranium.
Mr. Trump and other administration officials have long insisted that any deal reached with Iran must include a provision that ensures it cannot build nuclear weapons. Often, that has translated into proposed bans on enrichment in the country, which Iran has rejected.
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