Trump rules out Iran strikes before midterms; Gulf tanker attacks spread
President Trump said the United States will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, citing productive talks with Tehran. His pledge eased oil prices, though U.S. gasoline still averages about $4.36 a gallon. A tanker was also hit with casualties deep inside the Gulf this week, far from the usual Hormuz danger zone.
President Trump says there will be no new U.S. attack on Iran before Election Day.
"We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. He said talks with Iran were "productive" and that the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil would stay in place.
Oil prices fell. Brent crude had jumped to $105 a barrel after reports that Trump was weighing strikes, then slid to about $103 after his post, the New York Post reported. Prices fell again early Friday, Al Jazeera reported. The national average for gasoline is about $4.36, the Post said, citing AAA.
Trump has said in the past that he sometimes uses public statements to keep enemies off guard, The Washington Post reported. In June 2025, he launched strikes on Iran's nuclear sites while talks were still being planned.
Talks are moving slowly. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran is reviewing the U.S. response to its plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and will answer in the next few days, Al Jazeera reported.
Shipping is still under fire. A tanker was struck by "multiple projectiles" about 51 nautical miles off Qatar's north coast, with casualties reported, the BBC and Seatrade Maritime News reported. Both named the vessel as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged tanker Acers. Seatrade said at least 12 tankers have been attacked in Hormuz since Sept. 29, but attacks this far inside the Gulf have been rare lately. On Friday, Iranian media reported "massive explosions" in the southern part of the strait, Al Jazeera said.
How this fits: The strait has been largely shut since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February. About a fifth of the world's oil and gas normally moves through it. At least 24 seafarers have been killed in 93 confirmed incidents, the BBC reported, citing the International Maritime Organization.
What we know: Trump has ruled out strikes before Nov. 3, and tanker attacks have reached the western Gulf.
What we don't: Who fired on the Acers, how many crew were hurt, and whether Iran will accept the U.S. terms.
Where outlets agree The Washington Post, Al Jazeera and the New York Post all report that Trump said the U.S. will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Where they differ Trump, in a Truth Social post quoted by the New York Post, says oil is flowing through Hormuz in record numbers, while the BBC, citing Kpler data, says exports are about 80% of prewar levels.