US President Donald Trump has suggested US forces could strike Iran as early as Sunday, despite previously saying no attack would take place before the US midterm elections. Speaking after voting in Florida on Saturday, Trump also left open the possibility of a negotiated deal, as conflicting accounts emerged from Tehran about talks over the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked whether Washington was preparing another attack, Trump refused to reveal his plans. “Do you really think I’d tell you that? Maybe tomorrow,” he told reporters at a polling station in West Palm Beach. He said there was also a chance of a “nice, big, beautiful agreement” with Iran.
The president said Iranian officials wanted an agreement but questioned whether they would honour its terms. “They want to make a deal, but the problem is, will they hold the deal?” he asked.
His remarks marked a change in tone from October 8, when he said the United States would not attack Iran before the midterm elections on November 3. His latest comments suggested he was no longer ruling out military action during that period.
Trump also defended the US military’s conduct in the conflict. “We have done an amazing job. Our Navy and military have done an amazing job. They have knocked out every jet fighter of Iran. 259 ships are at the bottom of the sea. They are only left with record inflation,” he said.
Iran gives conflicting accounts of Strait of Hormuz deal
Iranian statements on the possibility of an agreement were less clear. According to the media reports, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said Tehran had recently conveyed through Islamabad that it was prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The ambassador accused Trump of refusing the proposal. Pakistan and Qatar had helped broker a temporary agreement in June aimed at reopening the shipping route, ending the blockade and starting talks on a wider settlement, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, a source quoted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Tasnim news agency rejected a report by Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya that Tehran had presented a new proposal to Pakistan.
The source called the report “a lie and fabrication” and said Iran’s existing seven-day plan had already been passed to Washington through intermediaries.
The ambassador spoke of Iran’s willingness to negotiate, while the Tasnim source specifically denied a new offer on the terms reported. Neither account established that Washington and Tehran had agreed on a deal.
Why the Strait of Hormuz dispute matters
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the open sea and carries oil and gas shipments to markets around the world.
Attacks on cargo ships have continued since the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran began in February, putting extra pressure on energy markets. The situation remained serious in October, with 28 confirmed attacks on ships in and around the strait.
Meanwhile, the possibility of renewed strikes comes amid new security warnings, with US intelligence cautioning against increased Iranian efforts to target American personnel overseas. In response, the State Department has already begun moving non-essential staff and family members out of diplomatic posts across the region.
