In brief
The U.S. midterm elections start on Tuesday, leaving tensions between Washington and Tehran at a high point as Iran issues a ready‑to‑react stance and sets conditions for reopening the Straits of Hormuz. President Trump says the administration will act but no rush, and regional mediators such as Qatar and Egypt are intensifying diplomatic efforts to avoid a new flare‑up.
The U.S. midterm election cycle began on Tuesday, intensifying an already tense standoff between Washington and Tehran. Iran has warned that its armed forces will respond immediately to any U.S. or Israeli threat, and has reiterated its demand that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened only if seven conditions are met.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi told reporters the country's forces are prepared to act on "any level or type of threat... without geographical limitations."
Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, added that the U.S. response to Iran's demands was not convincing. In a post on X, Rezaei said:
They must completely and explicitly address Iran's seven conditions and act upon them. Only in this case the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened.
Iran has conveyed a plan to the United States through mediators on September 22 to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if its conditions were met. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran had reduced the implementation period to two days in good faith.
President Donald Trump said on a phone interview with Axios that the administration was "in no rush" to decide whether to resume military action against Iran. He added:
One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially.Trump later wrote on Truth Social that Iran wanted a settlement and that one could happen soon.
Axios reported that Trump is weighing three possible courses: a diplomatic deal, renewed military action, or maintaining maximum economic pressure without a deal or renewed hostilities. Washington officials such as Vance and Witkoff favor diplomacy, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth push for military operations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio lean toward preserving the current "no war, no deal" status quo. The Wall Street Journal also noted that Trump may consider launching a large‑scale attack on Iranian forces after the midterms, though details were cut off in the reporting.
Regionally, Qatar and Egypt have intensified diplomatic efforts to avert new hostilities. Their mediation is part of a broader push by surrounding countries to bring the dispute to a settlement and prevent a flare‑up that could destabilize the Persian Gulf region.
