U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the midterms on November 3, clearly linking any further military action to the domestic political agenda.

Trump posted on Truth Social saying, "We will not attack Iran at any time before the midterms." He also added that the United States is engaged in "fructful discussions" with Tehran.

Trump's statement came after he told reporters later on Wednesday that his administration was considering launching a new round of strikes against Tehran before the election. The remarks helped drive up oil prices, with markets concerned about a further escalation of the situation. Brent crude oil rose more than 4% on Thursday, reaching above $104 per barrel.

Trump stated that the United States' maritime blockade against Iran will continue, and reiterated that Tehran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

This represents a change from his stance less than a day ago. At a campaign rally on Wednesday evening, Trump stated that reaching an agreement with Iran "is not what I really want to do."

As voters have begun to cast their ballots and this more diplomatic tone has emerged, public support for war has also been declining. A Reuters poll in August Ipsos showed that only 31% of Americans supported military action by the United States against Iran, down from 37% in March; 83% of respondents expected the conflict to be protracted.

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