Trump may order major Iran strike if Republicans suffer losses in midterm election: Axios - The Express Tribune
US President Donald Trump may be more inclined to approve a large-scale military operation against Iran if Republicans fare badly in the midterm elections next week, according to a report on Friday.
"If he feels embarrassed or disenfranchised, he will do something bold," a US official told Axios, adding that it is the message being passed to Iranian officials, who are being told their best chance for a deal is now.
A White House official rejected the idea, telling the outlet that election results will not factor into Trump's decisions on Iran.
The report said Qatari mediators spent more than 12 hours on Friday in Tehran, staying in regular contact with the White House, to restart direct talks between Washington and Tehran. A diplomatic source described "positive progress," and discussions are due to continue on Saturday in Doha.
Talks have stalled over competing demands, according to one US official. Washington wants nuclear concessions as part of any return to negotiations, while Tehran insists the US first lift its naval blockade, release frozen funds and allow oil sales.
The report said Doha is urging Iran to allow UN inspectors into its bombed nuclear sites in exchange for limited sanctions relief.
Pointing to divisions within Trump's circle, the report said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are sceptical of any deal and favour further weakening of Iran’s leadership. Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner back resuming talks.
The report comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global energy shipments.
A crude oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while completing an outbound transit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The agency said it had received information about the incident from a verified source.
UKMTO WARNING 188-26 Click here to view the full warning.⤵️https://t.co/6w4i18fkAy#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/M4gPZffFhn
The report did not disclose the vessel's name, the location of the strike, or the condition of the crew.
Authorities are investigating, while the agency advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Friday that a fourth oil tanker had struck a mine and caught fire while attempting to pass through an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz.
The navy’s public relations office said the supertanker, carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil, ignored repeated radio warnings against using the southern passage through the strategic waterway.
The vessel was struck by a mine, triggering a powerful explosion and leaving it burning, according to the statement.
The IRGC said the tanker was attempting to exit the strait through what it described as an unauthorised southern route.
It claimed the incident marked the fourth time a tanker had caught fire in the strait since early Friday.
Oman announced on Friday that it had medically evacuated an injured crew member from an Indian boat targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.
The military’s Directorate of Moral Guidance said the Royal Air Force of Oman, in coordination with relevant authorities, carried out the evacuation from an Indian boat that had come under attack in the strategic waterway.
The injured crew member was airlifted from Khasab Hospital in the northern governorate of Musandam to Khawla Hospital in the capital, Muscat, for specialized medical treatment, it said in a statement on X.
The Royal Navy of Oman announced earlier that it had evacuated 25 crew members from a commercial vessel that caught fire after coming under attack 1.6 nautical miles off the coast of Musandam.
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