Trump: No Strikes on Iran Before Congressional Midterms
US President Donald Trump has said the United States will not attack Iran before the congressional midterm elections in early November. He says this is because productive talks with Iran are under way.
US President Donald Trump announced on 8 October that the United States will not attack Iran before the midterm elections to Congress, scheduled for early November. Midterm elections in the US are held halfway through a president's term and decide the makeup of Congress, the country's legislature. The statement means that military escalation against Iran is not expected in the coming weeks.
How Trump explained the decision
The US leader justified his position by saying that productive talks with Iran are currently taking place. According to him, these talks are the reason the strikes are being put off. The source gives no further details about what exactly is being discussed, who is taking part, or what results have been achieved.
What it means
With this statement, Trump has linked possible military action against Iran to the election calendar and the ongoing diplomatic dialogue. The announcement does not say whether the US position will change after the elections. The source also does not specify whether the talks will continue after the vote.
