Trump says the war with Iran is “effectively over” and more US attacks are unlikely

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the war with Iran is "effectively over" and that fresh American strikes are "highly unlikely", while adding that US forces remain "locked and loaded".

He was speaking in the White House briefing room after talks in the Oval Office with Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Trump said Israel and the Gulf allies are well protected from Iran and that military action does not seem very necessary "at this point". "We're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly soon," he said.

The BBC reported that he described the current position as keeping the situation as it is, at the request of Iran's neighbours. Earlier on Truth Social, Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait would prefer a peaceful outcome.

The Guardian noted that Trump has said a final deal was close dozens of times during the nearly nine-month war, and that Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about his claims. There had been speculation that the administration was waiting until after the midterm elections to resume military action.

Republicans lost both houses of Congress in the midterms, and Vice-President JD Vance said soon afterwards that the Iran war was a key reason for the defeat, the paper reported.