Trump Pauses US Military Strikes on Iran Until November Midterm Elections
The postponement offers temporary relief to global energy markets as voters prepare to cast ballots under pressure from high domestic fuel prices.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will not resume military strikes against Iran before the midterm elections on November 3. The declaration on Truth Social countered reports that the White House had asked the Department of Defense to prepare strike options.
Anonymous administration officials said advisers had considered limited strikes to project resolve before voters cast ballots. Trump said the United States is holding productive discussions with Tehran and confirmed the pause in strikes. He stated that domestic oil prices will drop quickly once the conflict ends.
Oil markets shifted sharply on the developments. December Brent crude rose 5.2 percent to settle at $105.36 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate settled 5.1 percent higher at $92.75 per barrel. On the same day, the Treasury Department sanctioned 17 vessels, individuals, and networks moving Iranian oil.
Trump maintained that the naval blockade of Iran remains fully operational. He stated that 22 million barrels of non-Iranian crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single night. Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego, leaving the USS George Washington on station.
Direct military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran started on February 28, 2026. An interim 60-day ceasefire signed in June collapsed within weeks over renewed skirmishes and shipping disputes. In late September, Trump rejected an Iranian proposal for a seven-day truce linked to sanctions relief.
Disruptions in the Persian Gulf have driven fuel prices higher across the United States. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 60 percent of Americans, including 25 percent of Republicans, disapprove of the president's handling of the conflict. Rising living costs have emerged as a vulnerability for Republican candidates.
Vice President JD Vance said Iran must reduce its uranium enrichment capacity before the administration ends hostilities. The head of Iran's atomic agency stated that Tehran will not halt enrichment or give up its stockpile. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently called negotiations with Washington meaningless during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran will issue a formal diplomatic response within days to an American counterproposal. Trump has declined to rule out strikes immediately after the election. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group will arrive in the region in late October.
