US: Trump Rules Out Attacking Iran Before Midterm Elections

WASHINGTON (International Desk): US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States will not attack Iran before the midterm elections and that Washington is engaged in “productive talks” with Tehran.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that there would be no attack on Iran at any time before the November 3 elections. He said Iran is in very poor economic and military shape and that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain fully in place.
The announcement came a day after US media reported that Washington was preparing a new military operation against Iran ahead of the elections. Last month, Trump said the war with Iran would end shortly after the midterms, having earlier said the US was no longer seeking a negotiated end to the war.
Polls show the war, which Trump launched with Israel in February, is unpopular with American voters. Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply, has pushed up fuel and everyday prices. With less than a month to go, Trump faces historically low approval, and control of Congress is at stake, where Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers.