In brief
Former President Donald Trump announced that talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister had generated "positive momentum" toward ending the U.S.-Iran conflict, emphasizing Gulf states’ backing of the U.S. naval blockade and the new Operation Iron Gate. He asserted that Iran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon and warned that U.S. forces remain prepared for potential military action, though such strikes are unlikely at present. The claim stands in contrast to recent statements by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said diplomatic efforts have made little progress and a breakthrough is not imminent.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that a meeting at the White House with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani had created "positive momentum" toward ending the U.S.-Iran conflict, according to a post on his Truth Social platform.
The summit took place on Nov. 9, 2026, and included discussions about the U.S. naval blockade of Iran and the newly launched Operation Iron Gate, a strategy to restrict Iran’s land‑based supply routes.
Trump quoted the support of Gulf states—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others—for maintaining the current blockade and operation, saying that the regional coalition “would prefer the status quo.”
He added that the states “agree that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” describing that stance as "non‑negotiable" and highlighting the stark contrast with Iran’s claim that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes.
In the same post, Trump warned that U.S. forces remain ready for military action, writing:
“Should there be any change with respect to developments in the Middle East, the United States of America is ‘locked and loaded’ and ready to go.”He followed with “At this point, however, that seems to be quite unlikely.”
Trump concluded the post with, “We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict.” No details of what the momentum entails were provided.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had stated on Sunday that diplomatic efforts had made little progress and that a breakthrough in the U.S.-Iran dispute was not imminent, offering a contrasting view of the situation.
