The White House announced that the United States will not carry out any military attack against Iran before the congressional midterm elections in November.
Anna Kelly, the deputy White House spokesperson, stated in an interview with the Financial Times, in response to reports of talks between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu about striking Tehran’s leadership, that Iran is currently in an extremely dire situation both militarily and economically, and she stressed that the naval blockade of that country will continue with full force.
The White House spokesperson also indicated that, despite Tehran’s efforts and obstacles, oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz remain at a normal level; this comes as Netanyahu had spoken about a telephone conversation with Trump in which they discussed their future joint steps to confront the authorities in Tehran.
This temporary retreat by Washington from the military option coincides with domestic dissatisfaction in the United States. According to the latest poll in October, 65% of Americans are dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of this conflict, and nearly half of the citizens also expect the war to last more than a year, which is completely contrary to the initial estimates of the US administration, which predicted that the war would last only 4 to 6 weeks.
