From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Iranian officials say Tehran prolonging talks in stalemate to influence US midterms
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Iran has deliberately prolonged talks with the US to try to weaken Donald Trump politically ahead of November’s US midterm elections, senior officials say, while fears of renewed military action and deep distrust of Washington have reinforced Tehran’s reluctance to strike a quick deal to end the war.
Three senior Iranian officials and an Iranian insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, say Tehran is convinced the US president is ready to resort to renewed attacks to try to break the stalemate in the eight-month-old war.
“Iran is preparing for renewed Israeli and US attacks, not for a deal with America to end the war,” one of the officials says. “The clerical establishment is determined not to give Trump a political victory.”
Tehran analyst Saeed Leylaz says that, by prolonging the talks, “Iran is influencing the US election without taking any unlawful action.”
The war, which began in February when the US and its ally Israel launched strikes on Iran, has helped drive Trump’s approval rating to a record low as polls suggest that Americans worried about high gasoline prices will punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the US White House do not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The Times of Israel Community.