Trump says Iran war is effectively over after talks with Qatari prime minister
After Oval Office talks with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Donald Trump told a White House press conference that the war in Iran is “effectively over,” playing down fears that Washington would escalate its military campaign against Tehran after the midterm elections. He said Israel and Gulf allies were well protected from Iran and that taking further military action did not seem necessary, while adding that US forces remained “locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason.” He also claimed momentum toward ending the nearly nine-month conflict and that it would end “fairly soon.”
Al Thani has, with other Gulf countries, lobbied Trump not to resume fighting. Trump has often overstated the state of talks with Iran, repeatedly saying a final peace deal was imminent. The United States had continued moving troops to the Middle East before the midterms amid speculation the administration was waiting until after the vote to restart a campaign and avoid a polling backlash. Republicans were nonetheless routed in a historic defeat, losing both houses of Congress; Vice-President JD Vance soon said the Iran war was a key reason.
Earlier on Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait would prefer the “status quo,” which he described as a continuation of what he called the “Greatest Naval Blockade in History.” He repeated that Iran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that if the situation changed the US was ready to resume full-scale military action, while calling that quite unlikely and saying Israel and the entire Middle East were protected from Iranian threats. He said there was positive momentum toward an end to the conflict, that America’s interests would be protected, and that at the conclusion of the military engagement the American people and the world would be far safer.
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