Reuters reported that Trump's aides plan to reassess after the November midterms whether to expand strikes on Iran, with the shift read as adjusting the timetable to avoid a defeat at those elections.

US midterm elections fall halfway through a presidential term and renew the entire House and a third of the Senate. They have typically gone against the party in power, and the result reshapes the legislative environment for the rest of the term.

Linking military action to the electoral calendar is a recurring theme in American politics. Because higher oil prices and troop deployments bear directly on voter reaction, the choice of timing is itself read as a political judgement.

Separately, the president is reported to have said he is ready to strike Iran whenever he wishes, keeping pressure high while leaving the moment of execution open.

That posture leaves uncertainty in markets. The longer escalation remains undecided, the more a risk premium sits permanently on crude, and the more slack cost is built into shipping and airline route planning.

East Asia feels the effect through energy prices. Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan all depend heavily on Middle Eastern crude, so conditions there translate directly into domestic inflation.

The report rests on unnamed officials and differs in character from an official announcement. Whether the decision is in fact taken at that point has not been confirmed.