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Trump says he will not attack Iran before midterm elections; Treasury sanctions 17 more oil tankers the same day
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on October 8: “We will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections.” He also said the United States was engaged in “productive discussions” with Iran. According to CNBC, just the previous evening Trump had told reporters that his administration was considering resuming attacks on Iran before the election.
Naval blockade remains in place as Trump reverses course in a day
Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran would continue and reiterated that he would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. At a campaign rally on the evening of October 7, he also said that reaching an agreement with Iran “is not really what I want to do.”
The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. An August poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that only 31% of Americans supported military action against Iran, down from 37% in March. According to the American Automobile Association, the nationwide average price of gasoline on October 8 was $4.36 per gallon, compared with $2.98 before the war broke out in late February.
Brent crude closes up 4% at $104.28 a barrel
According to CNBC, Brent crude futures closed up 4% at $104.28 a barrel on October 8, while West Texas Intermediate rose 3.6% to $91.49. Iran has stepped up attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with nine tankers attacked in or near the strait over the past week. Hurricane Isaias is approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast, and operators have shut in about 500,000 barrels of daily production, roughly 25% of the region’s offshore output. Oil prices fell from their intraday highs after Trump’s post.
Treasury sanctions 17 more shadow fleet tankers
That same day, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on 17 vessels in Iran’s shadow fleet, saying they had transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products to markets in South and East Asia. This is the latest round of measures under “Operation Economic Outcast,” launched on August 24.
The sanctioned vessels include the Vanuatu-flagged tanker TINA 5, which the Treasury Department says transported more than 1.5 million barrels of Iranian crude in August, and the Cameroon-flagged tanker SHENZHEN, which has transported more than 3.5 million barrels of Iranian crude since November 2025. Treasury Secretary Bessent said in a statement: “The Treasury is cutting off the funds Tehran’s tyranny uses to wage war in the region.” The Treasury Department also removed two vessels from its sanctions list after they were sold to non-sanctioned operators.
This article, “Trump says he will not attack Iran before midterm elections; Treasury sanctions 17 more oil tankers the same day,” first appeared on .
Trump says he will not attack Iran before midterm elections; Treasury sanctions 17 more oil tankers the same day
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on October 8: “We will not attack Iran at any time before the midterm elections.” He also said the United States was engaged in “productive discussions” with Iran. According to CNBC, just the previous evening Trump had told reporters that his administration was considering resuming attacks on Iran before the election.
Naval blockade remains in place as Trump reverses course in a day
Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran would continue and reiterated that he would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. At a campaign rally on the evening of October 7, he also said that reaching an agreement with Iran “is not really what I want to do.”
The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. An August poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that only 31% of Americans supported military action against Iran, down from 37% in March. According to the American Automobile Association, the nationwide average price of gasoline on October 8 was $4.36 per gallon, compared with $2.98 before the war broke out in late February.
Brent crude closes up 4% at $104.28 a barrel
According to CNBC, Brent crude futures closed up 4% at $104.28 a barrel on October 8, while West Texas Intermediate rose 3.6% to $91.49. Iran has stepped up attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with nine tankers attacked in or near the strait over the past week. Hurricane Isaias is approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast, and operators have shut in about 500,000 barrels of daily production, roughly 25% of the region’s offshore output. Oil prices fell from their intraday highs after Trump’s post.
Treasury sanctions 17 more shadow fleet tankers
That same day, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on 17 vessels in Iran’s shadow fleet, saying they had transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products to markets in South and East Asia. This is the latest round of measures under “Operation Economic Outcast,” launched on August 24.
The sanctioned vessels include the Vanuatu-flagged tanker TINA 5, which the Treasury Department says transported more than 1.5 million barrels of Iranian crude in August, and the Cameroon-flagged tanker SHENZHEN, which has transported more than 3.5 million barrels of Iranian crude since November 2025. Treasury Secretary Bessent said in a statement: “The Treasury is cutting off the funds Tehran’s tyranny uses to wage war in the region.” The Treasury Department also removed two vessels from its sanctions list after they were sold to non-sanctioned operators.
This article, “Trump says he will not attack Iran before midterm elections; Treasury sanctions 17 more oil tankers the same day,” first appeared on .