Iran calculated that if they could lengthen the time via negotiations without losing, the American will to fight would evaporate as soon as things became economically uncomfortable.
If the midterm results are to be trusted, Iran was right.
Yet, this morning, US did issue small strikes on Iran anyway:
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Source: Times of Israel, 7 Nov 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-us-elections-iran-knows-its-strategy-is-working-against-everyone-but-israel/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-07-2026/