Amid expectations of renewed war, Trump “does not” see the election results affecting his plans regarding Iran
Quick Look
- A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran sent a nuclear proposal to the United States via Qatar, while Trump said that Iran cannot do anything about its nuclear program without Washington’s approval, and sources suggested that Trump would order a strike on Iran again.
- Judicial documents also revealed that Iranians were deported via a third country, and Iranians burned a giant banner of Trump and Netanyahu in Tehran after Trump's defeat in the midterm elections.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Tensions continue between Iran and the United States over the nuclear program and sanctions, in light of the ongoing war between the two countries and Trump's defeat in the midterm elections, with reports of unprecedented coordination between the two governments regarding the deportation of Iranians.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday (November 5, 2026) that Tehran had sent a nuclear proposal to the United States via Qatar. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that Washington is currently reviewing the nuclear proposal presented by Tehran.
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary-General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, said earlier today during his visit to Russia, “We announced to the Americans seven conditions regarding diplomacy. Unless they implement these seven conditions, we will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be opened, and we will not enter into any negotiations.”
Iran demands, among other conditions, the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and compensation for the war, while Washington stresses that nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.
Sources suggest that Trump will order a strike on Iran again
For his part, US President Donald Trump said today that Iran cannot do anything related to its nuclear program without obtaining the approval of the United States. "They do nothing without our approval," he told reporters in the Oval Office, in response to a question about proposals presented by mediators to Iran regarding the future of its nuclear program.
Regarding Iran, Trump said a decision must be made whether to move forward with additional steps or “ratify the agreement.”
Sources told Reuters that Trump would order the resumption of hostilities. One of the sources said, "He is planning to bomb Iran. Do not believe what he says. He postponed this because of the midterm elections. We asked him to postpone the matter until the end of those elections." The other source said that Trump "has nothing to lose politically now" after the midterm elections are over.
Judicial documents declassified today, Thursday (November 5, 2026), show that the administration of US President Donald Trump announced, in mid-October, that it still intends to deport Iranians via an undisclosed third country, although it is not clear when it intends to carry out the deportations.
The judge assigned to consider the case ordered the US administration to notify the court 24 hours before of any final plans to deport Iranians to Iran or to any other country, and to provide written notice five days before carrying out any such deportation.
The documents show that the US administration maintained contact with Iranian officials during the war regarding deportations, specifically to provide travel documents and research “possible ways to carry out deportations.”
Judge: “We are at war with a state that Trump described as lawless.”
“We are at war with a state that the president of the United States, just two or three days ago, if not yesterday, described as a state without law... a state that is an enemy of the United States, according to the current president,” Judge Ana Reyes said, according to the minutes of the October 15 hearing. “And a state that has killed tens of thousands of protesters, according to our president.”
Dimitar Georgiev-Rimmel, a US Department of Justice lawyer, responded: “Yes, Your Honor. The government is executing lawful deportation orders.”
This development came in the context of a lawsuit that is still pending, accusing immigration agencies affiliated with the Trump administration of sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, according to what was stated in the memorandums submitted to the court.
“Coordinated campaign between the US and Iranian governments”
The lawsuit depicts a coordinated campaign between the US and Iranian governments to identify Iranians detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to pressure them to return to Iran, in a remarkable shift from decades of diplomatic hostility between the two governments, and in light of the continuing war between the two countries.
The US Department of Homeland Security denies sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government.
Hundreds of emails exchanged between US immigration officials revealed how the two countries cooperated to arrange the return of more than 100 Iranians by air to Iran, on three deportation flights, in September and December 2025 and January 2026.
Deportations of Iranians to their country are historically rare, due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran, as well as the possibility that they will be subjected to persecution if they are returned to Iran.
A giant banner depicting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was burned in Tehran, after the US president's resounding defeat in the midterm elections, according to an Agence France-Presse journalist. Pictures from Agence France-Presse also showed a large banner on fire, which also included a picture of US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Iranians documented the event with their phones and took selfies in front of the giant banner. Iranian state television videos also showed the banner engulfed in flames and crowds waving flags. Thousands of Iranians had gathered earlier Wednesday in front of the former US embassy in Tehran, where American and Israeli flags were burned, and they chanted the usual slogans: “Death to America, death to Israel.”
Donald Trump considered on Wednesday that the statement that the war he is waging with Israel against Iran was the cause of his electoral defeat is “largely true,” noting that it has repercussions, especially on oil prices.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The United States will review and respond to the Iranian nuclear proposal within weeks
Likely · Within weeks
Lawsuits will continue over the deportation of Iranians and the sharing of asylum seeker information with Iran
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- When will the United States decide to respond to the Iranian nuclear proposal?
- Will Trump actually order a strike on Iran?
- What is the third country through which Iranians will be deported?
- What are the seven conditions that Iran requires for diplomacy?







