Trump says new attack on Iran is 'highly unlikely' if talks move forward

“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong deal,” Trump said. "The answer is it's highly unlikely that it will be necessary. They are a failed nation. It just came off the ground, you saw this year, 301% inflation. It is highly unlikely that it will be necessary. I would do it if I had to, but we hit them so hard. I hit them so hard. You have no idea how hard I hit them."

In recent weeks, Trump had threatened to resume attacks, and US media outlets suggested hostilities could resume after last week's midterm elections.

At the same time, Trump has already admitted that the war with Iran was responsible for the defeat that the Republican Party suffered in the legislative elections due to the increase in the cost of gasoline.

Still, the US president told CNN International that any decision to resume hostilities "depends on whether or not (Iranian authorities) sign a very solid agreement."

These statements contrast with those of the head of Iranian diplomacy, Abbas Araghchi, who stated shortly before that negotiations between the two countries were stalled due to the "shock" caused by the recent defeat of the Republicans.

"In recent days, there have been no more trips (by mediators), and the reason for this is the shock that the results of the elections in the United States caused everyone," Araghchi told state television this Sunday.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict had intensified before the elections. Iran continues to block transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which has affected oil supplies from the Gulf.

This, in turn, caused gasoline prices to soar in the United States, contributing to the war's unpopularity. Estimates indicate that the conflict cost the equivalent of up to US$100 billion (around R$508 billion) to American coffers, according to Pentagon sources.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on the eve of the midterm elections showed that around 48% of American voters named the cost of living as the main issue when voting in the midterm elections.

Furthermore, only 25% of voters consider that the military action was worth the cost, while 55% say it was not worth it. Another 18% were unsure.

Trump argued that the war was necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and, after the attacks, he even stated that the conflict would end quickly. After months of contradictory statements and a failed ceasefire agreement, the war continues, but at a lower intensity.