In brief
In a White House press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump said that meetings with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani had generated a positive momentum toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict, citing Gulf allies’ support for the naval blockade and Operation Iron Gate. Trump warned that U.S. forces remained “locked and loaded,” though a new strike was unlikely, and added that Iran was “militarily effectively over.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio countered that diplomatic progress had been limited and a breakthrough was not foreseeable.
President Donald Trump said Monday that meetings with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House had created a 'positive momentum' toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict.
Donald Trump.
We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict.
Trump highlighted that Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and others, preferred to maintain the current U.S. naval blockade of Iran and the newly launched Operation Iron Gate, which aims to restrict Iran’s land‑based supply routes. He added that these countries would favor the status quo and that all of them agreed Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon — a position Trump called "non‑negotiable."
Donald Trump.
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.
Trump said that while U.S. forces remain prepared for further military action, the likelihood of renewed strikes on Iran is low.
Donald Trump.
At this point, however, that seems to be quite unlikely.
During the same White House press conference, Trump added that Iran, militarily, is effectively over and that “taking the military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing.”
Donald Trump.
Iran, militarily, is effectively over. ... Taking the military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing.
Trump noted that the U.S. charges that Iran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon contrast with Iran’s own insistence that its nuclear program remains exclusively for peaceful purposes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Diplomatic efforts have made little progress and a breakthrough is not imminent.
Rubio, speaking on Sunday, cautioned that diplomatic channels had yielded minimal gains and that a significant breakthrough in the U.S.–Iran dispute was unlikely to materialize at this time.