Trump has publicly said the upcoming elections were not factoring into this Iran strategy.
But as the war enters its seventh month, his White House finds itself increasingly constrained by logistical and political realities.
"The timetable has changed," one senior White House official said. Another added that the "calendar is driving Iran."
Reuters reported in August that the military had used "virtually all" of its supply of certain precision missiles. The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force warned Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in a written assessment that prolonging the war was unsustainable and would diminish the military's readiness in other theaters.
The Pentagon has said the military had "everything it needs to execute" its mission.
“President Trump has destroyed Iran’s military capabilities and is crippling what’s left of its abysmal economy with the most powerful naval blockade in world history and crushing sanctions," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said. "The President will continue to advance America’s interests at home and abroad and will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
America's Gulf allies - some of whom had pushed for aggressive action against Iran earlier in the war to weaken their main regional adversary - roundly urged the White House to deescalate after a recent round of attacks in late July, regional diplomats said.
Currently, two White House officials said, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the high-ranking Trump aides who are on board with the idea of trying to keep the Iran conflict relatively "quiet" until November.
In recent weeks, administration officials have instead intensified an economic isolation campaign, during which the U.S. has threatened to slap countries that trade with Iran with massive sanctions, while maintaining its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
The trade-focused strategy, however, has its own limits, analysts and officials said.
Iran has spent decades under layers of U.S. and international sanctions that have battered its economy but have not deterred its leadership.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the pressure campaign may cause Iran to lash out militarily, raising the prospect that the economic campaign could itself stoke military escalation.
Additionally, some major world powers, like China, have not joined Washington's bid to isolate Iran, prompting questions about the campaign's effectiveness.
"The purpose of the new sanctions package is meant to add economic pressure on top of that being caused by the blockade to force Iran back to the table, after the administration determined it was a better option than returning to kinetic action," said Alex Plitsas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
"Iran is concerned about it, but China has already indicated that it's not willing to play ball, which calls into question how effective it will be."
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