EL7.AI
GeopoliticsMedium•22 October 2026•
2 min read

Trump rules out attacking Iran before November 3 elections, says U.S. can end involvement

Key Facts

1Iran's annual inflation reached 73.6% in September, according to the Statistical Center of Iran, cited by Reuters.
2Trump said the United States would not attack Iran before the midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
3The Iranian offer includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days, according to Reuters.
4Trump said Washington could end its involvement in the war now, insisting Iran would not acquire a nuclear weapon.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could end its involvement in the war with Iran now, insisting Tehran would not acquire a nuclear weapon, as disagreements persist over the course of negotiations between the two sides. CBS News and Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying: "We can leave now, and they will not have a nuclear weapon." His position on the nuclear issue comes as Washington insists on discussing Iran's program from the outset of negotiations, which Reuters described as one of the main sticking points. In contrast to the U.S. insistence on including the nuclear program from the start, the agency quoted Iranian officials as saying Tehran was deliberately prolonging the talks. Those officials said the aim of extending negotiations was to weaken Trump politically before the U.S. midterm elections.

Qatar previously played a direct role in securing a ceasefire in June that brought a temporary halt to hostilities, according to Reuters. Regarding the interim agreement reached that month to halt the conflict, Iran said it would reciprocate U.S. compliance if Washington honored its commitments under the deal. In U.S.-Israeli contacts, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed Iran with Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday during an unannounced visit to Israel, according to Israeli officials who spoke to Reuters. On military preparations, Investing cited the Financial Times as reporting that the Israeli military had prepared a bombing campaign lasting several days for the weekend of October 10. Targets cited in the report included Iranian power stations and nuclear facilities.

In the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported that Iranian attacks and threats of attacks had kept shipping traffic extremely limited. The Iranian proposal includes the release of frozen assets among the conditions for reopening the strait, according to the agency. Those conditions come as Iran's annual inflation reached 73.6% in September, according to figures from the Statistical Center of Iran cited by Reuters. The Iranian offer covered by the agency in a report published in October calls for reopening Hormuz within 7 days as part of the proposed process for addressing shipping. On U.S. military action, Axios quoted Trump as saying on Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the midterm elections scheduled for November 3.