Trump says Iran agrees not to pursue nuclear weapons amid rising tensions

US President Donald Trump stated that Iran has agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons, noting that the Iran issue could negatively impact the US midterm elections.

Trump also said that the volume of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz is currently higher than it was before the conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for a broader and more forceful response if the United States resumes large-scale military attacks, while continuing diplomatic efforts despite skepticism among Iranian officials about their success. This planning reflects the Iranian leadership's belief in the need for a stronger response to any new US campaign, while also seeking to avoid escalation through dialogue.

Three Iranian officials and a knowledgeable source indicated that senior leaders in Tehran are reviewing plans to expand the range of potential targets, not limiting them to US assets but also including countries supporting US military operations and possibly sites outside the Middle East.

Since Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian returned from New York last week, the Iranian leadership has focused on studying the scope and timing of any potential response should Washington launch a new attack, though no final decision has been made yet, as planning intensifies and tensions between the two sides continue.

Tehran is also monitoring the political risks Trump may face from the ongoing conflict, especially given the unpopularity of war among Americans and rising fuel prices ahead of congressional elections. Iran has instructed allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq to prepare to support it in the event of renewed US attacks, with orders for coordinated responses stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to US interests in the region and beyond the Middle East.