00:02President Trump says the U.S. will not launch any new attacks on Iran before the November
00:063rd midterms. And he says talks with Tehran are making progress even as the Pentagon prepares
00:11to send more troops and another aircraft carrier to the region. In a post-Thursday, Trump said
00:16the U.S. is having what he calls productive discussions with Iran. He also made clear the
00:22American blockade of Iranian oil will stay in place and repeated his demand that Iran never
00:27obtained a nuclear weapon. The U.S. military has been escorting more oil tankers through
00:32the Strait of Hormuz, helping Gulf countries get their oil to market while blocking Iran's
00:37exports. But Iran has stepped up attacks on tankers in recent days. The two sides are still trying
00:42to reach a deal after an earlier ceasefire agreement collapsed. Iran says it expects to respond
00:48to a new U.S. proposal within days. And fighting is intensifying near another major shipping
00:53route. Saudi Arabia and Yemen's government are trying to drive Iran-backed Houthi rebels
00:58from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis are responding with attacks on Saudi targets.
01:04The Pentagon is also sending more firepower to the region. The U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt
01:09and thousands of additional troops could arrive by the end of October, just days before the midterms.
