Trump: "Very Low Chance of Striking Iran Again"... Iran: "Mediation Stalled in Wake of U.S. Midterms"

Trump Signals Restraint on Military Strikes
Iran, U.S. Differ over Hormuz Opening and Sanctions Relief

U.S. President Donald Trump said on November 8 (local time) that the likelihood of resuming military strikes against Iran was very low. He added, however, that Iran would have to accept U.S. demands for an agreement on its nuclear program and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said mediation efforts toward a ceasefire between the two countries had temporarily stalled in the wake of the U.S. midterm election results, leaving it unclear whether negotiations would resume.

In an approximately 20-minute phone interview with CNN that day, President Trump said of the possibility of resuming military strikes against Iran, "It depends on whether they sign a very strong agreement," adding, "The likelihood that we would need to do that is very low."

"We would strike if necessary, but we have already hit Iran very hard," he said, emphasizing, "Additional strikes probably won't be necessary." According to CNN, President Trump reiterated five times during the interview that the likelihood of resuming military strikes was very low.

His remarks are seen as placing greater emphasis on a diplomatic solution, amid speculation about a resumption of military strikes against Iran around the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. He also made clear, however, that the United States would maintain military pressure.

President Trump claimed that the U.S. military was ready to resume strikes, saying, "We have three aircraft carriers, and one of them just arrived." He added, "We have 38 bridges in Iran targeted, and we could literally destroy them all within an hour."

He claimed that Iran's air defenses had been destroyed and that its capacity to produce missiles and drones had been severely weakened. He also said, however, that he did not want to attack Iran's infrastructure, as rebuilding it could take more than 10 years. "They want an agreement very badly," President Trump said, again emphasizing that the likelihood of further strikes was low.

Iran, however, says negotiations have stalled because the mediators halted their efforts after the U.S. midterm elections. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that day, "Now we have to wait and see when the United States fully accepts the election results and what steps it takes next."

"There has been no movement by the mediators in recent days in the wake of the U.S. midterm election results," he said. "It will take some time for the situation to improve and conditions to allow the mediators to become involved again."

Earlier, Iran presented the United States, through Qatar, a mediator, with what it called a "two-day plan" to implement its existing seven-stage ceasefire proposal within two days. Iran says the United States must lift its blockade of Iranian ports, suspend sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil, cancel new sanctions, and return frozen Iranian assets held overseas, among other demands.

Iran proposed that, if the United States fulfilled these conditions, it could open the Strait of Hormuz within two days and resume peace talks on other issues. The two sides remain at odds, however, as the United States insists that specific commitments on Iran's nuclear program must be included from the outset of negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.