President Donald Trump has said further US attacks on Iran are “highly unlikely,” as Washington keeps what he called the “status quo.” Speaking to reporters in the White House press briefing room on Monday, he said “Iran militarily is effectively over” and that there is “positive momentum” behind negotiations to end the war.
“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” Trump said. “And we’re doing that really at the behest of countries that are their neighbors.” He added that the United States was “locked and loaded” should circumstances change.
The comments came after Trump met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani in the Oval Office. Qatar is a US ally in the Gulf, one of Iran’s neighbors and a key mediator in efforts to end the war. Trump said they had an “excellent conversation” about negotiations. The Qatari leader said in a post on X that he held “positive discussions” with Trump and Vice President JD Vance on “reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region.”
Efforts to broker peace between Washington and Tehran have largely been held indirectly through mediators since the war began with joint US-Israeli strikes in February. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are among the Gulf allies hit by Iranian strikes, and the threat of further strikes has caused major air travel disruptions in the region. Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about Trump’s earlier comments on resolving the conflict.
This is not the first time Trump has said the war is militarily over, but the circumstances are different now. He has hinted at de-escalation after Republican losses in midterm elections last week, which senior figures including Vance blamed on the Iran war. Before the midterms, Trump said US forces carried out what he described as “minor strikes” on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Global oil prices, which have fallen sharply since the midterms, dipped further after Trump’s comments. On Tuesday afternoon in Asia, Brent crude was more than 1% lower at $91.50, while US-traded crude was down 1.2% at $85.82.
The war is also placing pressure on members of the administration. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has requested a vote in the House of Representatives to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump has backed Hegseth, who calls the effort a “sham.” The move is unlikely to succeed while Republicans control Congress until January, but Democrats have expressed willingness to pursue impeachment once the new session begins.
Source: BBC
