After the crushing defeat in the midterms, Trump softened his stance on Iran, stating that "it may no longer be necessary to fight."

Author: Bu Shuqing, Wall Street Journal

As the Democratic Party achieved a significant victory in the U.S. midterm elections and the Republican Party faced a heavy setback, the Trump administration showed signs of easing its military stance towards Iran.

According to Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, Trump admitted in a phone interview with The Wall Street Journal that the conflict with Iran did indeed affect the Republican Party's performance in this midterm election and dragged down his approval ratings, but he does not regret it, saying, "If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same."

Earlier, Trump discussed the U.S.-Iran war situation in a media interview, stating: "It seems we are getting everything we want." He then added, "I am ready, we are ready. If necessary, we can act at any time, but there may not be a need for that."

Trump's statement does not mean that the U.S. has abandoned military options. He still stated that the U.S. is prepared to respond to an escalation of the situation, but currently, there may not be a reason for further military action.

As Trump and his administration officials have recently adopted a somewhat milder tone regarding Iran, international oil prices have also significantly retreated from last week's highs.

Iran Warns the U.S.: If Large-Scale Strikes Resume, It Will Face a "Nightmare"

Regarding the results of the U.S. midterm elections, Iran interpreted it as a signal from American voters opposing war.

Iran's parliamentary speaker and senior negotiator with the U.S., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the U.S. midterm elections indicate that the American public has cast their votes "against war." He also warned that if the U.S. chooses to launch large-scale attacks against Iran again, it will face a "nightmare."

Despite the U.S. recently sending some signals of easing tensions, the fundamental relationship between the U.S. and Iran has not changed. Tehran has stated that Iran is always ready to respond to new military strikes and will retaliate strongly.

Gulf Arab countries are also remaining vigilant regarding the situation and urging Trump to give diplomatic negotiations more time. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are all regional allies of the U.S., and during the most intense phases of the war, these countries faced thousands of attacks from Iranian drones and missiles.

U.S.-Iran Negotiations Still Face Discrepancies, Strait of Hormuz Situation Affects Oil Market

On the diplomatic front, progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations has been limited recently. Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating, but there are still discrepancies on several key issues.

Iran hopes the U.S. will lift its maritime blockade on its ports, while Washington demands concessions from Tehran regarding nuclear activities.

A previous article from Wall Street Journal mentioned that Qatari mediation is ongoing, but the discrepancies between the U.S. and Iran have not been bridged, and Qatari mediators expect to receive feedback from the U.S. and Iran on a new proposal within the next 36 hours.

This means that although negotiations have not achieved substantial breakthroughs, diplomatic channels are still operational.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated this week that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has granted the government greater authority to push for peace negotiations. This may involve some topics that Tehran previously considered "non-negotiable," leaving some room for diplomatic solutions.

A War Lasting Nine Months Is Becoming Political and Economic Pressure for Trump

The U.S.-Iran war began in late February of this year when the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iranian targets, killing several senior officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In the early stages of the war, U.S. officials had expected the conflict to last at most four to six weeks, but Iran's sustained counterattack capabilities exceeded expectations. Tehran's counteroffensive actions not only disrupted the Persian Gulf region but also impacted the entire Middle East situation.

Meanwhile, the rising energy costs brought about by the war are adversely affecting the U.S. domestic economy. U.S. diesel prices have hit an all-time high, and the average gasoline price has also surpassed $4 per gallon. The surge in fuel costs has intensified public dissatisfaction with the war.

This also constitutes the real dilemma Trump currently faces: on one hand, he insists that Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and retains the possibility of military escalation; on the other hand, the ongoing war and high energy prices are increasing domestic political pressure.

After the Democratic Party swept Congress in the midterm elections, Trump signaled a pause in military actions against Iran, and U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations have once again attracted attention. However, given the discrepancies between the two sides on maritime blockades and nuclear issues, as well as Iran's continued military readiness, the situation is still far from genuine easing.