Trump says US will not strike Iran before November 3 election
The pledge reverses his position from a day earlier and lands against reports of Pentagon planning for strikes after the vote
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UpdateThursday, October 8, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET
Trump made the pledge in a Truth Social post, saying the US is holding "productive" talks with Iran, that the blockade on Iran remains in full force, and that oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz in record numbers with none of it involving Iran. He added that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Transit through the strait is running near two vessels a day, versus a pre-conflict average of roughly 125. Iran continues to condition any reopening on the blockade being lifted, a demand Washington has rejected, leaving the dispute over access unresolved.
Donald Trump says the United States will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. The statement ties any military action to a timeline that begins only after voters go to the polls.
The pledge reverses what Trump said on Wednesday, when he ruled out pursuing a deal with Iran at all. It also echoes a framing he used on September 13, when he suggested resolution with Iran would come only after the midterms.
The shift comes after two administration officials said the Pentagon has been directed to prepare Iran strike options built around the midterm election calendar, and after the Atlantic reported the White House had asked the Pentagon for strike options with size and targets still undetermined. Iran's atomic energy chief has ruled out concessions on enrichment and said Iran will not hand over custody of its uranium. Defense Secretary Hegseth has said the United States brought what he called "Epic Fury" to Iran and that theocratic regimes should never hold nuclear weapons. Iran has said separately that it will soon block illegal routes through the Strait of Hormuz and can extend the range of its weapons.
By explicitly pushing any action past November 3, Trump's pledge narrows the risk of near-term escalation through the election and removes one source of event risk for broader equities over the coming weeks. It does not contradict a separate report that he privately told aides to expect bombing resumed by the end of November, a date that falls after the vote. The underlying conflict, and its implications for energy prices, remains unresolved beyond that point.