The White House has said President Donald Trump has no plan to attack Iran before the US midterm elections.

The statement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and Trump are committed to eliminating the Iranian regime.

Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly addressed Netanyahu’s remarks on Tuesday when she was asked about reported discussions between the two leaders on removing Iran’s leadership.

She told Al Jazeera that, as Trump has stated, Iran is in very bad condition, both economically and militarily. She said the US naval blockade will remain in full force, with oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in record volumes. She also made clear that the United States will not be attacking Iran before the November 3 vote.

Her comments repeat a pledge Trump made on 8 October. He wrote on Truth Social that the US would not attack Iran at any time before the midterms and that “productive discussions” with Tehran were under way. That announcement followed reports that the White House had asked the Pentagon to prepare strike options that could be used before the election. Oil prices fell after the post, and some analysts saw it partly as an effort to calm markets.

The mixed signals have continued since. Last week, a White House official described as “false” a report that Trump and Netanyahu had discussed resuming the war. Netanyahu, however, said on Tuesday that he raised the matter with Trump as recently as Sunday. Israeli media also quoted sources saying Trump is “very close” to renewing strikes. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly met Netanyahu at an airbase in southern Israel on Monday, during an unannounced visit, amid talks about a possible return to major combat operations.

Ten days after his pledge, Trump also endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. He said that if anyone else won, the US would have to do the work on Iran itself, something he said he was not inclined to do.

Analysts say both elections now act as a brake on escalation, but they warn the risk could rise once the votes are over. They also note that a major Iranian attack causing American deaths could change the political calculation altogether.

Diplomacy is moving in the background. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for his fifth visit since the April ceasefire, which Islamabad brokered. Qatar has also been passing proposals between Washington and Tehran.

The June memorandum of understanding between the two sides has effectively lapsed. Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed until the US lifts its blockade, while Washington insists the blockade stays. The war began on 28 February.