Trump: US will not launch an attack on Iran before November's US midterm congressional elections

US President Donald Trump said that the US will not launch an attack on Iran before November's US midterm congressional elections, asserting that the two countries are having "productive" talks about ending the six-month-old war, Reuters reports.

The war, which began in ⁠February when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, has helped drive Trump's domestic approval ratings downward and is weighing heavily on his fellow Republicans as they seek to preserve their narrow legislative majorities in November's election.

Some 60% of Americans — including one in four Republicans — disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Iran, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The conflict has pushed gasoline prices sharply higher at a time when voters say their top concern is the cost of ⁠living.

Trump has repeatedly said he expects oil prices to drop after the elections, but he has not offered a detailed plan for exiting the war.