In late September 2026, Iran offered a way back to talks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “If certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will be open at the end of seven days, and talks will be restarted.” According to the Associated Press, the conditions were that the United States lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon. Asked on CBS whether Iran would allow nuclear inspectors, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, “That is absolutely correct,” then made it part of a deal: “If they wish to come in and have inspections, we can reach accords and agreements vis-à-vis that specific topic within the negotiations.”
On Saturday, September 26, boarding Marine One for a college football game, Trump said, “I reject their proposal,” the Washington Post reported. To reporters: “They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they're losing so badly,” and, “Because they're dying. You know why they're dying? Because they have no money coming in because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.” He added, “I'd like to make a deal, too. But that deal would not be acceptable.” To Axios the next day: “I expect more talks with Iran [this week]. They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make. It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on the evening of September 25, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that Trump had rejected the proposal and told aides he expects the bombing of Iran to resume after the midterm elections, though his views could change. No other outlet has confirmed that with its own sourcing; CNBC said it “could not immediately confirm the report.” What is on the record is Trump's own answers. Asked by Axios about resuming strikes: “I am always thinking about it.” Asked by Fox News whether strikes could come before the midterms: “I don't want to say that. I don't want to say that. I mean, it's possible, but I just don't want to say that.” UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, asked on NBC's “Meet the Press” about the Journal's report: “Well, that's anonymous reporting. What I can tell you is the president will leave all options on the table.” He did not deny it. He also said, “Heck, our negotiators even offered to sell them uranium.”
A White House official said, “The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we are not in a rush.” Araghchi said on “Meet the Press,” “We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed.” When markets reopened on Monday, Brent crude traded 2.7% higher at $107.11 a barrel, CNBC reported. Sen. Chris Murphy called Iran's terms “proof of what a disaster this war has been.” Rep. Jim Himes: “The Iranians now, in some sense, control what happens on election day.” Trump has already said the war “will end immediately after our election” (Trump Says the Iran War 'Will End Immediately After Our Election,' Accusing Tehran of Holding Out for 'Dumb, Weak Democrats'); for the June framework that this offer echoes, see Trump's Iran War Framework Trades an Open Strait of Hormuz for $300 Billion in Reconstruction and a Reversal on Enrichment.
The same weekend, the Associated Press reported, Trump posted a map labeling the waterway “Trump Strait,” noting, “It is not the first time he has tried to antagonize Iran in this way.” See Trump Reshares an AI-Generated Map Renaming the Strait of Hormuz the 'Strait of Trump' as Brent Crude Tops $125 a Barrel and Gas Hits $4.30 a Gallon.
Update (September 29, 2026): a U.S. official told CNN on September 28 that Trump would grant sanctions relief and release frozen funds in a final agreement, but only for “concrete progress” on the nuclear issue; Axios reported the same from U.S. officials. Trump disputed that he had offered anything, posting that he “offered them NOTHING!” Iran's foreign minister also denied any shift: “Claims have been circulating for several hours now, and I can state categorically that there has been no change whatsoever in Iran's positions,” adding, “At present, the only issue is the Strait of Hormuz.” The talks run through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, with Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, JD Vance and Marco Rubio leading for the United States.
Update (October 2, 2026): More force is on the way. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group left San Diego on September 27, bound for the region, followed a day later by the Makin Island amphibious group carrying more than 2,000 Marines, a U.S. official told Al Jazeera; the Navy said 5,000 sailors are assigned to the strike group, Stars and Stripes reported. Citing U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal and the AP put the combined deployment at 9,000 to 10,000 additional troops, arriving by the end of November, on top of more than 50,000 already in the region. Headlines about a “third carrier” need a caveat: the Roosevelt is expected to relieve the USS George Washington, and three carriers would be in the region together only if the Washington stays until it arrives; Euronews: “Whether that represents a sustained increase in posture or a temporary overlap during rotation remains unclear.” A U.S. official told Al Jazeera that “leaders will have many options for dealing with Iran.” Asked by TIME whether he would bomb after the midterms, Trump said it was “possible,” adding, “I can't tell you that because look, you know, you're asking, where are you going to bomb?”
Update (October 8, 2026): The Pentagon told U.S. Central Command several days earlier to conclude preparations for resuming major combat operations in Iran, Axios reported on October 7, citing U.S. officials; no date was set and Trump had made no final decision, and The Atlantic reported the White House had asked for strike options usable before the midterms. A White House official told The Hill, “The Commander-in-Chief has all options available at any time.” At a rally that night Trump said, “I think the deal isn't really something that I want to do.” The next day he posted that “we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
Update (October 22, 2026): NBC News reported on October 21, citing two U.S. officials and two people familiar with the matter, that the military is “scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East” and the State Department is “ordering a further reduction in staff at multiple diplomatic posts” as Trump weighs new military action in Iran. CBS News reported an ordered departure of some government staff from Saudi Arabia after Houthi strikes, with the military “quietly reducing its footprint” in the region, and Reuters reported, citing four U.S. officials, that other Gulf missions would send families out. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the ordered departure applied to Saudi Arabia only and called reports of a wider withdrawal “inaccurate,” The National reported. Only the Saudi departure is confirmed on the record.
Update (October 31, 2026): The Associated Press reported on October 28 that “U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week's midterm elections in the United States,” as well as for possible Iranian retaliation against them, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter. That is AP's own sourcing, and it is consistent with, though not the same as, the Journal's September report that Trump told aides he expects the bombing to resume after the midterms. Rubio said Trump has not decided on further military action and remains open to diplomacy, The National News Desk reported on October 31.
Sen. Chris Murphy said at a Middle East Institute event in Washington that he had been briefed on the administration's plan for a possible resumption of military operations, which officials had previewed as a short campaign, the Hearst paper The News-Times reported on October 30. Asked to say more, Murphy said “their plan is insane.” He added, “They've been asked by the president to develop a plan. Whether they believe it will work or not, I do not know.” Murphy did not identify specific targets; he said he was referring to open reporting about possible targets. A White House official, speaking on background, said the administration would not comment on “sensitive military plans that may or may not exist” and said Trump was keeping all options open. CNN, citing U.S. officials, has reported that Trump had not made a final decision.
Update (November 2, 2026): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “pushing for another wave of strikes on Iran” after Tuesday's U.S. elections, the Associated Press reported, citing two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter, all unnamed. One official said Netanyahu was working with senior U.S. officials to persuade Trump to launch “a quick but extensive air campaign” and that Trump “does not appear to have made a decision.” Netanyahu pressed for strikes on a weekend call with Trump, who “would not commit to taking military action,” according to a person briefed on it. The Israeli government did not immediately comment, and the White House “did not directly respond.” This rests on AP's anonymous sourcing alone.
The same AP story reported diplomacy moving alongside it. The two officials said Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian officials last week on a framework for Iran to stop its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, with more talks planned this week. Vice President Vance, who sent a letter to Iran's security chief last week, said, “We've had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,” and added that he and Trump “feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.” Trump, in a speech in Washington that day, said, “I don't know if you even call it a war, because we haven't been doing any fighting for months.” AP said the conflict has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $47 billion.