Trump says US will not attack Iran after midterms

Summary

On Monday, 2 November 2026, US President Donald Trump said the United States is not going to attack Iran after the midterm elections, one day before the vote. He ruled out strikes in answer to a question from an NBC reporter during a speech at the Washington Reflecting Pool. In an Axios interview released the same day, he said "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush," and that the US had "crippled them financially." He also posted that "Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible." The remarks followed a warning from conservative podcast host Tucker Carlson, which had more than 70 million views, that Trump was weighing dropping a nuclear bomb. Carlson has fallen out with Trump but still has ties to administration officials. Commentators speculated the comments were aimed at calming voters, as polls predicted a severe setback for Trump's Republican Party amid rising prices that the reporting links partly to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   2 Nov 2026, 21:33 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Trump ruled out attacking Iran after the midterms in answer to an NBC reporter's question during a Washington speech on Monday, and that polls predict a severe setback for his Republican Party amid rising prices.

2. Middle East Eye

   2 Nov 2026, 21:41 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye's live blog reports that Trump said on Monday the US will not attack Iran after the midterms, citing his Axios interview and his social media post that Iran wants a settlement as soon as possible.