US President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that the United States will not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections.
“We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote at the beginning of a statement posted on his social media platform.
The president added that Iran is in a difficult situation, both economically and militarily, but stressed that US pressure on Tehran will continue.
The blockade on Iran, he said, will remain in full force, while oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues at exceptionally high levels.
Trump said that 22 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz overnight alone, and that none of them originated in Iran or was destined for Iran.
He then made his position explicit: “We will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections in the United States on November 3."
Alongside his pledge to refrain from attacking Iran until the elections, Trump concluded his statement with a stern message to Tehran: “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon!"