Trump says there will be no strike on Iran today as tensions continue

 

United States President Donald Trump has ruled out a military strike on Iran for Sunday, October 25, 2026, even as tensions across the Middle East continued. Asked by reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Michigan whether fresh strikes could come within hours, he answered directly: "There will not be a strike today," according to QNC News.

The remark followed a sharper statement the day before. According to AiTraderView, Trump said on Saturday that a strike could come "tomorrow," before reversing that position on Sunday. In an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" on October 25, he framed his choice in stark terms, asking: "Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal?" according to QNC News. He added: "We don't play games."

The decision eased immediate market fears. According to Benzinga, carried by TradingView, oil prices retreated and Dow futures rose after Trump ruled out an immediate attack, while Qatari mediators were reported to be in Tehran as part of a United States-coordinated initiative to ease tensions, according to Al Jazeera. Iran, meanwhile, confirmed that indirect communications with the United States were continuing despite stalled formal negotiations, according to the Associated Press, carried by WMAL.

Longer-term risks remain. According to QNC News, Trump has signalled that any renewed American strikes would likely wait until after the November 3 midterm elections, while the administration has been building up its military presence in the region, including sending a third aircraft carrier group toward the Persian Gulf. Officials have cautioned that the stretch between Election Day and the seating of the new Congress could be especially volatile.

The war began in late February with joint United States-Israeli strikes, according to AiTraderView, and a ceasefire and a memorandum toward a final peace deal exist, but neither side has dropped its aggressive posture. Iranian officials have said renewed attacks would not produce a different outcome from previous operations, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Iran or its allies could carry out attacks ahead of Israel's elections, according to WMAL.

Image credit: Daniel Torok / White House, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.