Reuters reported directly from Washington that Trump answered “no” when asked on Nov. 2 whether he was considering strikes after the midterms, and said a deal could happen. AP reported, citing two regional officials and a person briefed on a weekend call, that Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump to resume strikes after Tuesday’s election; the sources spoke anonymously and the Israeli government and White House did not immediately confirm the account. AP also reported regional allies warned further strikes could destabilize the region. These reports document a change in Trump’s public signal, not a signed ceasefire or settled agreement. Tehran’s proposal and negotiating terms remain claims reported by AP; no final deal has been announced. Photographs are archival context: Araghchi in Moscow on April 27, 2026, and Doha’s skyline in 2013; neither depicts the Nov. 2 negotiations.
A public signal shifts before the midterms
President Donald Trump said Monday he was not considering renewed strikes on Iran after Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, answering “no” when reporters asked. He added that he believed Tehran wanted a deal and an agreement could happen, Reuters reported.
The remarks softened a threat Trump had made in recent weeks to consider fresh attacks after the vote. They are not a formal halt to military operations or a completed agreement.
Netanyahu urged Trump to keep the military option open
The Associated Press, citing two regional officials and another person briefed on the call, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Trump over the weekend for another wave of strikes after the election. The sources said Trump did not commit. They spoke anonymously because they were discussing classified briefings.
AP said other U.S. allies in the region cautioned that new strikes could destabilize the area. Neither the Israeli government nor the White House immediately answered AP’s questions about the call.
Mediators continue work on a possible framework
Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha over the weekend, and further talks were expected this week, Reuters and AP reported. AP said mediators were working on a framework linking a halt to Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz with the lifting of a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
Tehran has also described a plan to reopen the strait and resume nuclear talks if Washington accepts its conditions. Those are Iran’s proposals, not agreed terms. Diplomacy remains active while the military option is unresolved.
Sources
2 references
- ReutersTrump raises doubts about renewed attacks on IranDirect reporting on Trump’s Nov. 2 remarks, including his answer on post-election strikes and statement that a deal could happen. · 2026-11-02
- Associated PressNetanyahu pushes for new strikes on Iran, officials tell AP, and other Mideast newsReporting based on three unnamed sources about Netanyahu’s request to Trump, plus the state of mediated talks and regional allies’ concerns. · 2026-11-02
