US President Donald Trump has indicated that he believes the US-Israel war against Iran is “effectively” over after meeting with a Qatari mediator.
In a surprise press conference on Monday, President Trump reiterated his position that the United States had destroyed Iran’s military. But his comments suggested he was facing pressure from allies in the Middle East to end hostilities.
“Iran is effectively finished militarily. We are just maintaining the status quo.” “We are doing it precisely at the request of our neighbors.”
The US president made it clear that “maintaining the status quo” includes the continuation of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the continuation of the newly announced task force Iron Gate, which aims to cut off trade by land and through the Caspian Sea.
“A lot of things were discussed regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said.
“Most importantly, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others want to maintain the status quo, to continue the greatest naval blockade in our country’s history, and perhaps in the history of the world.”
President Trump’s comments came shortly after he and Vice President J.D. Vance invited Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to the White House to discuss the Iran war.
“Thank you for the positive discussions to reach an agreement and bring peace to the region,” the Prime Minister posted on social media.
It is unclear whether President Trump’s latest remarks will significantly change America’s stance on the war. Trump himself has refused to commit to a long-term ceasefire.
“I’m not guaranteeing anything,” he said in the White House briefing room. “But if we do have to go back, we’re locked, loaded and ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Iranian officials dismissed President Trump’s recent comments as a distraction. Both sides claim victory throughout the conflict.
“The war against Iran has already destroyed the US government, but Washington is flinching like a desperate gambler,” Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a social media post.
“Fold your hands. Stop making fake news about imaginary talks.”
Separately, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said through Iran’s state-run Tasnim news agency that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for an end to the situation, which he described as “neither war nor peace.”
Pezeshkian added that Iran is open to further negotiations but will not be forced to do so. “We will not give in to violence or bullying,” he said.
Since the war against Iran began on February 28, the conflict has spread to neighboring countries and disrupted international trade.
At about the same time that the United States and Israel launched their attacks, Iran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for transporting fossil fuels, fertilizers and other goods.
Iran has also countered U.S. and Israeli attacks with missile and drone fire in countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE, many of which have targeted U.S. military facilities.
Other related disputes have since arisen. Saudi Arabia resumed fighting against the Iranian-backed Houthis, and Israel began occupying southern Lebanon and launching deadly airstrikes.
For nearly nine months since the war began, U.S. attacks against Iran have been sporadic, with intermittent gunfights. For example, in recent days, the Trump administration announced a “small-scale attack” on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
It also offered a $20 million reward for “information regarding Iran’s nuclear program, including facilities, equipment, and associated personnel.”
After the 12-day war in June 2025, President Trump claimed that Iran’s uranium enrichment program had disappeared. But since then, he has made reducing Iran’s nuclear program a central premise of the ongoing war.
Iran has long denied developing nuclear weapons and maintains a uranium enrichment program aimed at generating civilian energy.
