Trump rules out Iran attack before midterms

President says Washington and Tehran are holding 'productive' talks

WASHINGTON:

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections,

saying Washington and Tehran were engaged in "productive" discussions aimed at ending the six-month-old war.

"We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd."

Trump's announcement came as the Treasury Department unveiled fresh ?Iran-related sanctions, targeting dozens of ?people, entities and vessels, on its website.

The war began in February when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. The conflict has contributed to higher gasoline prices and weighed on Trump's domestic approval ratings, while Republicans seek to preserve their narrow majorities in Congress.

About 60% of Americans, including one in four Republicans, disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran situation, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. Voters have identified the cost of living as their top concern, while the conflict has pushed gasoline prices sharply higher.

Trump has repeatedly said he expects oil prices to fall after the elections but has not offered a detailed plan for ending the war. Washington and Tehran have exchanged proposals in recent weeks aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route. Trump rejected Iran's latest offer.

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that Tehran would not abandon uranium enrichment or surrender its uranium stockpile. The comments, attributed to the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, came days after US Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that Iran must make "meaningful" reductions in its enrichment capacity.

Meanwhile, Trump used Truth Social to intensify another dispute, this time over terminology surrounding artificial intelligence. Trump said anyone who continues to use the term "Artificial Intelligence" instead of his preferred phrase, "Super Intelligence", would be regarded by the White House as "THE ENEMY".

"The White House considers anyone that uses the term, 'Artificial Intelligence,' as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, 'Super Intelligence,' THE ENEMY!" Trump wrote, without explaining what consequences would follow.

Trump first proposed replacing the term artificial intelligence during a speech before the UN General Assembly last month, saying his preferred expression "sounds much better". In late September, he signed an executive order requiring the term "super intelligence" to be used across the US government.

The requirement does not extend to the private sector, although some companies and technology figures have begun adopting the terminology. Meta, led by Trump ally Mark Zuckerberg, has used the phrase, while Elon Musk has also employed it in posts on X.

The terminology debate comes as Trump continues to promote AI while concerns grow over AI security and opposition to the expansion of data centres in the United States. Trump has also embraced

renaming places, referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" and Lake Ontario as "Lake America".