Updated

President Trump said the US would not strike Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, citing 'productive' talks, even as reports emerged of Pentagon preparations for large-scale strikes and a third US aircraft carrier strike group was dispatched to the Middle East. Oil prices jumped sharply amid fears of escalation, while the USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego after a grueling, nearly year-long deployment supporting operations against Iran, and sailors aboard the USS George Washington were shown adjusting to life near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials, including President Pezeshkian, said Tehran considers itself in a 'full-scale war' and is prepared for prolonged conflict. Analysts and Iranian military officials warned the gap between diplomacy and renewed fighting is narrowing, with the standoff increasingly shaping US domestic politics ahead of the midterms. The situation underscores an unresolved, high-stakes standoff between Washington and Tehran that could escalate at any time despite Trump's midterm pledge.