Iran prolongs US talks to deny Trump a political boost before midterms, officials say

Tehran, Iran. Iran is deliberately extending negotiations with Washington to undermine Donald Trump’s political standing before November’s US midterm elections, senior Iranian officials said. Distrust of the US and concerns about further military strikes have also discouraged Tehran from quickly agreeing to end the war.

Tehran anticipates further attacks

Three senior Iranian officials and an Iranian insider, all requesting anonymity, said Tehran believed the US president was prepared to order fresh attacks in an effort to overcome the impasse in the conflict, now eight months old.

One official said Iran was preparing for further strikes by Israel and the US rather than an agreement with Washington to halt the fighting. The official added that the clerical leadership was intent on denying Trump a political success.

The officials said a breakthrough before the elections was unlikely because Tehran would not offer concessions it believed could help Trump politically.

Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leylaz said Iran’s decision to extend negotiations allowed it to influence the American election without acting unlawfully.

Disagreement over the negotiating agenda

Facing pressure from Israel, Washington wants negotiations to address Iran’s decades-old nuclear programme immediately. Iran maintains that the programme serves exclusively peaceful purposes, while Western powers allege it also has military aspects.

Tehran, however, says its conditions under a seven-day plan must first be fulfilled before discussions on the nuclear issue can start. It has also given no indication that it would surrender the leverage it acquired over the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.

War weighs on elections and energy trade

The conflict started in February with American and Israeli strikes against Iran. It has contributed to Trump’s approval rating falling to its lowest recorded level. Polling indicates that voters concerned about expensive gasoline could penalise his Republican Party in the congressional vote on November 3.

Trump has repeatedly predicted that oil prices would decline once the elections were over. However, he has provided no detailed strategy for ending the conflict or restoring access through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for international energy shipments that Iran has effectively shut since hostilities began.

Actual Iranian attacks, together with threats of further strikes, have reduced shipping through the strait to minimal levels. Meanwhile, an American naval blockade and trade sanctions have deprived Iran of revenue from oil exports, worsening its mounting economic difficulties at home.