Trump speaks of "productive discussions" with Iran and rules out attacking it before the elections

He added, "I want to make it clear to everyone that while Iran is suffering from a very bad situation, economically and militarily, and while the (US naval) blockade will remain fully enforced... we will not launch an attack on Iran before the midterm elections that will be held in the United States on November 3rd."

Trump said that "oil is flowing in record numbers of barrels through the Strait of Hormuz, 22 million barrels last night alone, without a single barrel leaving or entering Iran!"

Trump's remarks came as crude oil prices continued to rise on Thursday, following a report stating that the White House is considering carrying out strikes on Iran before the midterm elections in the United States.

Around 15:30 GMT, the price of a barrel of Brent North Sea crude recorded $105.54, an increase of more than five percent, while the price of West Texas Intermediate crude reached $92.90.

Oil prices had started the week on a decline amid signs of oil exports from the Middle East returning to pre-war levels, and the G7 countries' agreement to release quantities from their strategic reserves.

However, tension returned to the markets with Tehran escalating its strikes on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Houthis denying the Yemeni government's assertions that its forces are making progress in their counter-offensive to retake areas they had seized, while senior oil sector officials warned of global stocks falling to worrying levels.

Amid all these concerns, "The Atlantic" magazine reported on Wednesday that the White House asked the Pentagon to develop options for striking targets in Iran before the midterm elections, in which Trump's Republican Party could lose its majority in Congress.

The report stated that the scale of the strikes and their targets are still under discussion, noting that a broader operation may be in preparation for after the elections.

According to the magazine, supporters of these strikes do not even believe they will force Iran to sit at the negotiating table or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but they hope they will constitute a show of force before the elections.

In a similar report published by "The New York Times" on Thursday, the newspaper indicated that plans are in preparation despite Trump's "hesitation."

For its part, the "Axios" website reported, citing unnamed sources, that a final decision has not yet been made, but "if large-scale battles resume, it will include intensive bombing of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites."

In the latest sign of those tensions, the British Maritime Trade Operations authority said on Wednesday that an oil tanker off the northern coast of Qatar was hit by "several projectiles," resulting in an unspecified number of casualties.

Opinion polls indicate that American voters are dissatisfied with the rise in fuel prices linked to the conflict launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.

The midterm elections will determine the course of the last two years of Trump's presidential term.

The US President also sought on Thursday to calm the controversy sparked by his remarks during an election rally earlier this week, when he said that Iran could "wipe out" the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, blaming what he described as "fake and fabricated news" for misinterpreting those remarks, which Democrats used to criticize him.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, "In fact, I was talking about the temporary rise in gasoline prices being a small price to pay for Iran not having a nuclear weapon. And if you want to see a really high price, can you imagine what would happen if Iran bombed San Diego and/or Los Angeles?"