Trump calls further US strikes on Iran unlikely as peace talks continue
The US president pointed to progress in negotiations while declining to declare the war over, citing concerns about the security of Gulf allies.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that further American attacks on Iran were unlikely, pointing to progress in efforts to negotiate an end to the Middle East conflict. Speaking to reporters in the White House press briefing room, he described Iran as effectively finished militarily but said American forces remained prepared to act if circumstances changed.
Trump said Washington was maintaining the current situation largely at the request of Iran's neighbours. He characterised renewed US strikes as "highly unlikely", while stopping short of formally declaring an end to the war. Iranian officials have repeatedly questioned his earlier statements about the prospects for resolving the conflict.
The remarks followed Republican losses in last week's midterm elections, which senior party figures, including Vice-President JD Vance, blamed on the Iran war. Trump has previously described the conflict as militarily over, but his latest comments about easing tensions came against the backdrop of those election results.
Before the elections, Trump said American forces had carried out what he called "minor strikes" against an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview broadcast by 60 Minutes on Sunday, however, he said he saw no current reason to intensify the conflict. Asked why he would not officially announce that the war had ended, he pointed to the possibility of further Iranian aggression against Gulf allies.
Trump said the United States needed to ensure those allies were protected and suggested that the American naval blockade of Iranian ports was contributing to regional security. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all been targeted by Iranian strikes during the war. The threat of attacks has also caused substantial disruption to air travel across the region.
Diplomatic efforts continued on Monday when Trump met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani in the Oval Office. Trump spoke favourably about their conversation on ending the war. Writing on X, the Qatari leader also described his discussions with Trump and Vance as positive and focused on securing an agreement and regional peace. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have mostly proceeded through intermediaries since joint US-Israeli strikes began the war in February.
The conflict is also fuelling pressure on Trump's administration after the elections. Republican congressman Thomas Massie criticised Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday and requested a House of Representatives vote to impeach him over the war. Trump has defended Hegseth, who dismissed Massie's initiative as a "sham" and said he was not concerned about the threats.
An impeachment effort is unlikely to succeed while Republicans retain control of Congress until January. Democrats, however, have indicated that they are willing to pursue Hegseth's impeachment when the next congressional session begins and they take control of both the House and Senate.
