US President Donald Trump has signalled that further military strikes against Iran are unlikely if diplomatic negotiations make progress, even as Washington maintains its military readiness and Tehran continues to resist key American demands.
The position comes after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections, with Vice President JD Vance directly blaming the Iran war for the party’s electoral defeat.
Vance said voters had turned against Republicans over the conflict, the rising cost of living and inflation. He argued that many Americans who supported Trump in 2024 switched their votes to Democrats in the midterms.
Trump acknowledged that the war and its impact on fuel prices contributed to the Republican losses, although he maintained that confronting Iran remained necessary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the administration’s approach, saying Trump had addressed a longstanding national security threat. He also cautioned that a diplomatic breakthrough was not imminent, describing Tehran’s negotiating demands as unacceptable and unrealistic, reports Reuters.
Despite signalling a preference for negotiations, Trump has kept the prospect of renewed military action open.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, he said further strikes were highly unlikely if Iran agreed to a strong deal.
However, he confirmed that American forces remained prepared for escalation, citing three aircraft carriers in the region and 38 Iranian bridges identified as potential military targets.
Meanwhile, hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz have continued.
The US military said it disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran, meanwhile, reported that oil tankers had been hit by mines in the strategic waterway.
The incidents underline the continuing risks to maritime traffic and international energy supplies despite diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, reports Reuters.
For Iran, the midterm outcome has added a new political dimension to an already difficult confrontation.
Tehran sees Washington’s electoral setback as relevant to the administration’s calculations, but economic and military pressures remain substantial.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has indicated that regional diplomatic efforts were continuing following the US elections. Qatar, which is mediating between the two sides, has rejected reports that negotiations had collapsed.
Tehran has submitted a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar.
However, Iranian officials have linked further progress to the fulfilment of demands that include sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and compensation for war damages.
Washington, by contrast, insists that nuclear restrictions must feature in the initial stages of negotiations.
The disagreement leaves both sides facing competing priorities: Washington wants a binding agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear programme, while Tehran is seeking economic relief and an end to military pressure before making concessions.
With Trump expected to review diplomatic options with Qatar’s leadership, the immediate question is whether the electoral consequences of the war will translate into a change in US policy or whether military pressure will remain central to Washington’s negotiating strategy.
