Iran War Day 224: Trump Says U.S. Won’t Attack Iran Before Midterms

President Trump said Thursday that the U.S. would not attack Iran before November’s midterm elections. In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote that “while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily, and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect… we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections.” In the same post, he also said that “productive discussions” were underway with Tehran. The statement comes following media reports earlier in the week that Trump was looking to restart combat operations imminently.

Also on Thursday, two Houthi missile attacks killed three people in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The strikes targeted Riyadh’s international airport, and according to Saudi officials hit both the airport building itself and an aircraft belonging to state carrier Saudia. Thursday’s strikes follow similar attacks on Saudi airports conducted on October 6 and 7.

Oil prices eased slightly on Friday, with Brent crude trading at around $103 per barrel. According to AAA, the average price of regular gasoline in the United States is $4.37 per gallon.