U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated that President Donald Trump does not anticipate any kinetic engagement with Iran until at least after the midterm elections. The remark sets a timeline for a possible military move against the regime in Tehran.
Bessent has been the administration's public face of the economic campaign against Iran. On September 23, sweeping sanctions he announced took effect against Iran's aviation sector, threatening any foreign company that supplies Iranian aircraft with fuel, ground services or ticket sales with loss of access to the U.S. dollar system. "All the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told CNBC at the time. Baghdad and Muscat airports stopped accepting Iranian flights once the measures took effect.
Yesterday, Trump told a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, three and a half weeks before the midterms, that Iran is "a lunatic country." He also warned that Tehran may stage a provocation before the vote.
