Trump says war on Iran ‘effectively over’ after talks with Qatar’s PM

After session with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Washington, DC, united States President Donald Trump has signalled that he considers the US-Israel war on Iran "effectively" at an end.

Key points

• After the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, Trump had asserted that Iran's uranium enrichment programme had been obliterated.
• Trump's comments come shortly after he and Vice President JD Vance hosted Sheikh Mohammed at the White House to discuss the Iran war.
• Separately, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian remarked that the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had called on an end to the situation.
• The "status quo" would involve continuing the US naval blockade against Iranian ports, he remarked, as well as the newly unveiled Task Force Iron Gate.
• "Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others would prefer the status quo, that we remain as is, " he remarked.

In a surprise briefing on Monday, Trump remarked to journalists efforts to end the conflict were gaining momentum and that further military action may not be needed.

"At this point. Taking military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing, but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason that changes, " he remarked. "Israel and the entire Middle East are protected from Iranian danger and threats, and we're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly shortly."

Trump's comments come shortly after he and Vice President JD Vance hosted Sheikh Mohammed at the White House to discuss the Iran war. In a post on X after Trump's remarks, the Qatari prime minister stated he had "discussed the situation in the region and ways to progress the US-Iran talks" during the White House session.

He continued, "Grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region."

Trump, in his press briefing, remarked "much was discussed" with respect to Iran and maintained again that the US had destroyed the Iranian military. He remarked the conflict, "militarily, is effectively over", but that "we're just keeping it the status quo".

Notably, the "status quo" would involve continuing the US naval blockade against Iranian ports, he remarked, as well as the newly unveiled Task Force Iron Gate. It seeks to cut off trade by land and through the Caspian Sea.

"Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others would prefer the status quo, that we remain as is, " he remarked. "In other words, a continuation of the greatest naval blockade in the history of our country. Probably in the history of the world."

Trump additionally declined to commit to any long-term ceasefire, saying "I don't guarantee anything." Iranian office-holders, meanwhile, dismissed Trump's latest remarks as a distraction.

"The war on Iran has already wrecked the US administration. But Washington flails like a desperate gambler, " Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei wrote in a post on social media. "FOLD YOUR HAND. STOP manufacturing FAKE NEWS regarding imaginary negotiations."

Separately, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian remarked that the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had called on an end to the situation. It he described as "neither war nor peace".

Pezeshkian continued that Iran was open to further negotiations but would not be coerced, according to Iranian media. "We will not surrender to force and bullying, " he remarked.

Since the war on Iran began on February 28, the conflict has spilled into surrounding countries and roiled international trade.

Almost as shortly as the US and Israel began their attacks, Iran moved to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil, gas and fertiliser, among other goods. Iran additionally responded to US and Israeli strikes with missile and drone fire on its neighbours in the Gulf, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE, with numerous of the attacks targeting US military installations.

Other, related conflicts have since emerged. As well as deadly airstrikes, saudi Arabia has renewed its fight against the Iran-backed Houthis, and Israel began its occupation of southern Lebanon.

In the almost nine months since the war began, the US offensive against Iran has grown sporadic, with intermittent exchanges of fire. In recent days, for instance, the Trump administration confirmed "minor strikes" against Iran's Qeshm Island.

It additionally offered a $20m reward for "information about Iran's nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel".

After the Twelve-Day War in June 2025, Trump had asserted that Iran's uranium enrichment programme had been obliterated. But he has since created curtailing Iran's nuclear programme a central premise for the ongoing war.

Iran has long denied seeking a nuclear weapon, maintaining its uranium enrichment programme is for the purposes of civilian energy generation.

Authorities in Iran, meanwhile, have pushed for the US to accept seven conditions so as to end the war.

They include lifting the US naval blockade, reparations for war-related damage, an end to sanctions against its economy and a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon and Gaza.

Qatar has served as one of a number of key mediators in the conflict. Sheikh Mohammed, the prime minister, additionally serves as foreign minister and has been known to act as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran.

In Monday's closed-door session, he reportedly presented Trump with a two-day framework from Iran to end the war.

Afterwards, reporters asked Trump in the briefing room, "Why not just declare an end to the conflict and be done with it?"

Trump framed the continued US blockade as a question of regional security. He additionally called on a "long-term solution", rather than a short-term one.

"We have some great allies there, and we have to make sure they're not hurt, and they would be hurt, " he remarked.

"They are right now a lot safer than they were six months ago since Iran's been highly much decapitated. But there's still the bully of the Middle East a little bit."

For now, trump says war on Iran 'effectively over' after talks with Qatar's PM remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.