US President Donald Trump says he is ruling out a renewed offensive against Iran before the US congressional elections. The USA would not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections on November 3rd, Trump wrote on Thursday on his online platform Truth Social. At the same time, he stated that productive talks were being held with the Islamic Republic. The US blockade of Iranian ports remains in force. Nevertheless, oil deliveries continued to arrive through the Strait of Hormuz.
It could not be independently clarified whether Trump's claim that the USA is holding productive talks with Iran is correct.
The war and its monthly costs of three billion dollars have become a central issue in the US election campaign. High gasoline prices are also putting pressure on Trump's Republicans and endangering their majority in Congress. Trump has repeatedly stated that he expects a significant drop in oil prices after the election. It is unclear what he bases his forecast on.
The United States and Iran have exchanged proposals in recent weeks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, which is crucial for global oil and gas supplies. Iran has largely blocked the strait for months.
Observers had repeatedly pointed out that previous US attacks on Iran had not brought the country to its knees and that Iran was in a rather strong position. In addition, the war that began between the USA and Israel at the end of February has become a significant burden for numerous national economies and the global economy.
Meanwhile, the US aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” has returned to the USA. Images showed the ship entering the port of the west coast city of San Diego. According to the media, the “USS Abraham Lincoln” had been traveling for 265 days without a port stop. The ship made headlines during its deployment, including in the Iran War, because of alleged supply shortages and complaints from sailors and relatives of the 5,000 soldiers.
Reports of problems with the water supply, clogged toilets and increasing psychological stress on the crew as a result of various grievances had caused criticism. In some cases, according to their relatives, crew members tried to jump overboard. The US military rejected the most serious allegations.
The nuclear-powered ship initially left San Diego in November 2025 for a mission in the Pacific. As a result of the war with Iran, the aircraft carrier was then relocated to the Middle East. It wasn't until the beginning of September that the 330-meter-long and up to 74-meter-high ship arrived in the Thai tourist hotspot of Pattaya - its first shore leave after more than 200 days at sea.
Many people also cheered in Iran. The reason: For the first time since the beginning of the war, a scheduled flight from a foreign airline landed. "The Iraqi Airways flight took off from Najaf airport and landed successfully at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran," state television reported on Thursday. According to the information, the flight brought believers from the pilgrimage city in Iraq back to Iran.
In the wake of the war against Iran, the US government imposed far-reaching sanctions on the Iranian aviation sector at the beginning of September and announced that it would take tough action against companies that support it. Tehran therefore filed a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the end of September.
For Iranians, flights to neighboring Türkiye are currently a way to leave the country or return home. Iranian airlines also serve routes to Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Malaysia and Thailand.
