Trump says Iran war is effectively over after meeting Qatar PM
US President Donald Trump stated Iran is militarily finished following talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran is militarily "effectively over" after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House. According to reports from Al Jazeera and Hindustan Times, Trump noted that the United States is maintaining the status quo at the behest of neighbouring countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Trump indicated that while allies prefer a peaceful solution, the US is not ruling out further military strikes. He stated that if military operations resume, Washington has identified additional infrastructure targets in Iran, including 38 bridges. He also told CNN that military action would be "highly unlikely" if a strong agreement is reached.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to ISNA, that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued directives to end the state of "neither war nor peace." Pezeshkian expressed willingness for diplomatic talks but maintained that Iran will not bow to external pressure or coercion.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in France for a G7 meeting, said negotiations are not close to a breakthrough. He described Tehran's demands as "outrageous and ridiculous." Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran is in its weakest position in a long time.
To restrict the movement of sanctioned goods and weapons technology, the US recently launched Task Force Iron Gate. This initiative expands the existing naval blockade to target land borders and the Caspian Sea, according to CBS News.
In a potential diplomatic development, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin said on Monday that US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei are scheduled to meet in Qatar next week.
