Trump Says No Iran Strike Before Nov. 3 Midterms; Pentagon Said to Ready Options

ME News reported on Oct. 9 (UTC+8) that the U.S. has told Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir it could restart military action against Iran before the end of the month. Zamir said in the call that renewed U.S. strikes could trigger Iranian retaliation against Israel, potentially forcing a delay to Israel's election scheduled for Oct. 27. On Thursday, Trump wrote on social media that the U.S. would not attack Iran ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. He said U.S.-Iran talks are making productive progress, the U.S. will maintain its blockade of Iran, and noted that significant volumes of oil are currently moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Axios previously reported that the Pentagon has asked U.S. Central Command to complete preparations for a possible resumption of operations against Iran. People familiar with the matter said any renewed action could involve large-scale strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. White House officials said the U.S. currently holds the initiative in the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran's economy is facing intensifying pressure toward collapse. (Source: BlockBeats)