Washington: US President Donald Trump has signalled that the more than eight-month US-Israeli war against Iran is “militarily effectively over,” following talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House.
In a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Monday, Trump said there was “positive momentum” toward ending the conflict and that further large-scale military action did not appear necessary for the time being. “Iran, militarily, is effectively over. We’re just keeping it the status quo,” he told reporters. He added that this posture was being maintained largely “at the behest of countries that are their neighbours.”
The meeting, which also included Vice President JD Vance, focused on diplomatic efforts to wind down hostilities. Trump later posted on Truth Social that he had held an “excellent conversation” with Sheikh Mohammed. He said Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional partners preferred continuation of what he described as the “greatest naval blockade in the history of our country,” together with the newly announced Operation Iron Gate covering land and sea routes. All, he said, agreed that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon — “That is non-negotiable.”
While stressing that American forces remained “locked and loaded” and ready to resume operations if circumstances changed, Trump indicated that a resumption of major strikes looked “quite unlikely” at present. “The military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing,” he said, though he declined to offer any guarantees and emphasised the need for a durable solution rather than a temporary pause.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, who also serves as foreign minister and has been a key mediator, posted that he was “grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region.” The talks followed his recent visit to Tehran, where he is understood to have conveyed an Iranian framework proposal.
The war, which began on February 28, 2026, has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, drawn in additional regional actors, and featured intermittent strikes. Iranian officials dismissed Trump’s latest remarks as misleading. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei called them “fake news,” while President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had urged an end to a state of “neither war nor peace.” Tehran has maintained it remains open to negotiations but will not accept what it views as coercion.
Trump’s comments come after the US midterm elections, in which the costs and duration of the conflict were prominent issues. Although he has repeatedly asserted that Iran’s military capabilities have been severely degraded, he continues to link any lasting resolution to constraints on its nuclear programme. For now, the administration appears focused on sustaining the naval and land blockade while gauging whether diplomatic channels can produce a longer-term arrangement acceptable to Gulf partners and Washington. No formal change in US military posture has been announced.