U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran appeared to be moving toward an end, describing further American strikes as unlikely while leaving open the possibility of renewed military action. His comments came as the conflict entered its ninth month and rising fuel costs continued to weigh on the global economy.
Speaking to reporters at the White House after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Trump said the conflict could finish "fairly soon" and described Tehran as "talking very politely" with Washington. He argued that Iran's military position had effectively collapsed, pointing to the destruction of its navy and inflation that he said had severely weakened its economy.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait favored keeping the existing approach in place. That includes the naval blockade of Iran and Operation Iron Gate, a task force announced Saturday to prevent the movement of advanced weapons and other materials into Iran by land.
Trump again said Iran would not be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon. Although he characterized additional strikes as "quite unlikely," he said the United States remained prepared to act if conditions changed. His remarks combined support for continued pressure on Tehran with an indication that negotiations would have time to proceed.
The administration's language has softened following midterm elections in which Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress. Voter frustration over soaring living expenses linked to the war contributed to those results. Before the elections, the United States had reportedly considered increasing its naval presence in the Middle East, and Trump had suggested the conflict could intensify after the vote.
Axios, citing a diplomat briefed on the meeting with Qatar's prime minister, reported that Trump said he wanted an agreement and would allow talks a chance to succeed. According to that account, however, he could change his position if Iran failed to approach the negotiations seriously.
Reuters reported that Iran had sent Washington a two-day proposal through Qatari mediators, citing a senior Iranian official. The proposal sought the removal of sanctions on Tehran and a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington was reviewing it, the report said. Iranian officials nevertheless disputed that negotiations were taking place. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, reportedly accused Washington of "manufacturing fake news about imaginary talks."
Oil markets declined Tuesday as the possibility of reduced tensions extended the previous session's losses. U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell more than 1% to $85.8 a barrel after dropping more than 4% in the preceding session. Brent futures also lost more than 1%, reaching $91.56 a barrel and trading close to their lowest levels in 10 weeks.
