President Donald Trump has declared that further American strikes on Iran are “very unlikely” and that “militarily, Iran has effectively finished”. He said there is a “positive moment” toward negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East, adding that the US is maintaining the “status quo” at the request of Iran’s neighbouring countries. However, Trump warned that the US remains “ready” should circumstances change. Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about Trump’s previous statements on resolving the conflict.
The statement comes after a series of difficult results for the Republicans in last week’s midterm elections, which senior figures such as Vice President JD Vance attributed to the war in Iran. Trump had signalled de-escalation, although he had previously mentioned small American “strikes” on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. In a recent interview, he said he saw “no reason” to escalate the conflict, but refused to officially declare an end to the war, citing the need to protect Gulf allies from Iranian aggression and suggesting that the American naval blockade was helping security in the region.
On Monday, Trump received Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in the Oval Office, where they held an “excellent conversation” on negotiations to end the war. The Qatari leader confirmed positive discussions with Trump and Vance on reaching an agreement and bringing about peace. Peace efforts between Washington and Tehran have been conducted mainly indirectly since the war broke out after the joint US-Israeli strikes in February. Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, were hit by Iranian strikes during the war.
After the elections, criticism of the war in Iran is putting pressure on the Trump administration. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie launched a harsh attack on Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling for a vote to remove him. Trump has backed Hegseth, describing Massie’s effort as a “hoax”. Although the move is unlikely to succeed with Republicans controlling Congress until January, Democrats have expressed readiness to remove Hegseth as soon as they take control of the House and Senate.
Source: BBC News