Donald Trump has said the United States will not resume bombing Iran before the November midterm elections, despite reports that the Pentagon has prepared plans for major combat operations ahead of the vote.
The president said Washington was engaged in “productive discussions” with Tehran and insisted that Iran was in a “very bad condition”. His statement came as US media reported that military commanders had been instructed to prepare for possible renewed attacks.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition…we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
He did not refer to military preparations or provide further details about the talks. His assurances have been treated cautiously after the US launched attacks on Iran on February 28, despite Mr Trump saying the previous day that he had not made a decision.
The United States also struck Iran towards the end of Israel’s 12-day war in June 2025, after Mr Trump had said he would announce a decision on military action “in two weeks”.
Reports of plans for renewed attacks
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other publications have reported claims from unnamed officials that the Pentagon has developed options for attacking Iran before the elections, if authorised.
Axios reported that US and Israeli officials said the Pentagon had told US Central Command to prepare for imminent major combat operations. The Atlantic published a report along similar lines.
Resuming the bombing campaign before the midterms would carry political risks for Mr Trump and the Republican Party. The war has proved deeply unpopular in the United States, while the conflict in the Middle East has contributed to higher prices for petrol, food and other basic goods.
A Pew Research Center poll released on Thursday found that about 65 per cent of Americans disapproved of Mr Trump’s handling of the war. The conflict, which he initially said would last only a few weeks, has now entered its eighth month.
Most Americans surveyed said they believed the war would continue for at least another year, with increasingly negative views also recorded among Republican and conservative-leaning voters.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 30 per cent of Mr Trump’s supporters were enthusiastic about voting in the midterms, compared with 48 per cent of Democratic voters. About 13 per cent of people who voted for Mr Trump in 2024 said they were unsure who they would support in the congressional elections.
Analysts have suggested that postponing further attacks could protect Republican candidates from a backlash at the polls. However, a poor Republican result could also encourage Mr Trump to act afterwards if he concluded that there was little left to lose politically.
US military build-up in the Middle East
Mr Trump has previously indicated that the war could be ended by force after the elections. At a Republican convention in September, he accused Iran of trying to influence the midterms and said the conflict “is going to end immediately after the elections”.
In an interview with Time magazine two weeks ago, he said it was “possible” that bombing could be intensified after the vote, but did not elaborate.
The US military last week sent about 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines aboard several ships towards the Middle East, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. The deployment brings the number of US troops in the region to 20,000, alongside hundreds of aircraft and at least three carrier strike groups.
Previous US troop build-ups in the Middle East and the Caribbean have been followed by military action, although there has been no confirmation that an attack has been ordered.
A ceasefire agreement signed by Washington and Tehran in June quickly collapsed amid a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US holds the advantage there, while rejecting a recent Iranian proposal to reopen the waterway unless Washington lifts sanctions, unfreezes Iranian assets and guarantees an end to attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week that Tehran was considering a counterproposal from the US.
