According to senior Iranian officials who spoke anonymously, Tehran has deliberately prolonged talks with Washington to weaken Donald Trump politically before the November 3 midterm elections, while fearing renewed US attacks. Iran’s offer, conveyed through Qatari mediators, would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days under Iranian control, provided the US lifts its maritime blockade, eases oil export restrictions, releases frozen assets and ends hostilities, while Washington wants Iran’s nuclear programme on the table from the outset. Iran’s economy is under heavy strain, with annual inflation at 73.6% in September, the rial down nearly 35% against the dollar since July, and seaborne crude exports falling to zero from the second week of September. Trump has said the US will not bomb Iran again before November 3, but Iranian officials still expect bombing to resume.
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Related tickers and likely impact
PAXG/USDT
▲ Likely positivePAX Gold
Relevance: low
| Market | Crypto |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Binance |
| Sector | Real-world assets |
| Market cap | $1.8B |
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 4,133.66 |
| Change that session | -1.08% |
XAUT/USDT
▲ Likely positiveTether Gold
Relevance: low
| Market | Crypto |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Binance |
| Sector | Real-world assets |
| Market cap | $3.4B |
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 4,134.00 |
| Change that session | -1.05% |
XAU/USD
▲ Likely positiveRelevance: low
| Market | Gold |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 4,140.75 |
| Change that session | -0.60% |
SPY
• NeutralSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 766.48 |
| Change that session | +0.42% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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Senior Iranian officials say Tehran has deliberately prolonged talks with Washington to weaken Donald Trump politically before the November midterm elections, and is preparing for renewed Israeli and US attacks rather than a quick deal to end the war. Trump has not offered a detailed plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed; Iran's offer, relayed through Qatari mediators, would reopen it within seven days under Iranian control if Washington lifts its blockade, eases oil export restrictions, releases frozen assets and ends hostilities, while Washington wants Iran's nuclear program on the table from the outset. Officials say Tehran does not trust US commitments to diplomacy and expects bombing to resume sooner or later, even though Trump has said the US will not bomb Iran again before the election. The stalemate is costly for Iran: annual inflation reached 73.6% in September, the rial has fallen nearly 35% against the dollar since Washington reapplied its naval blockade in July, and seaborne crude exports dropped to zero.
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