Trump says there will be 'something one way or the other' with Iran 'fairly soon'; White House says no US attack on Iran before the midterms
President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were continuing only "a little bit" and that an outcome would come soon. The White House told ABC News the US would not attack Iran before the 3 November elections, as Israeli sources described joint plans for renewed strikes after the vote.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday 21 October that there would be an outcome with Iran “one way or the other” soon, in an interview with NewsNation, while the White House said the US would not attack Iran before the 3 November midterm elections.
Asked whether negotiations with Iran were continuing, Trump said: “A little bit, but we’ll see what happens.” Asked if he was finished negotiating, he said: “No, I think we’re not negotiating with — we are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon.” He added: “Most people seem to think it’s after the election, and we’re going to see what happens.”
“The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told ABC News on Thursday. Two Israeli sources told ABC News that the Israeli military and the US military had drawn up plans to renew joint strikes on Iran after the elections, and that the decision was “only for Trump to decide”. The New York Times first reported the planning. A White House official said the administration does not comment on “sensitive military plans that may or may not exist” and that Trump “keeps all options on the table” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Pentagon declined to comment.
The State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Saudi Arabia, which officials linked to the threat from the Houthis in Yemen, ABC News reported.
In Tehran on Wednesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said threats and sanctions must be lifted in practice before conditions for negotiations could exist, and Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran would launch offensive operations against any country that attacked it, Iran International reported.
See also: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say seven vessels were hit and threaten US bases.
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