Trump says Iran war to end 'fairly soon'

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated progress in ending the conflict with Iran following a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister at the White House on Monday. Trump shared on Truth Social that the conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani was "excellent," and that numerous discussions took place regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. This was Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since his party's significant losses in the midterm elections.

In the days preceding the election, there was considerable speculation that U.S. strikes against Iran would recommence shortly after. However, Trump has consistently downplayed the prospect of resuming the conflict, while keeping the door open to further strikes. In his Monday post, Trump reiterated that the U.S. was "locked and loaded," but believed further strikes were "quite unlikely" due to the preference of key Gulf allies for maintaining the status quo.

"We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this conflict, and will ensure that America's interests are at all times protected," Trump stated. Trump's remarks mirrored earlier comments to CNN over the weekend, where he stated that it was "highly unlikely" that fighting would resume.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials expressed defiance in the face of continued U.S. pressure. The Islamic republic's top security chief, Mohsen Rezai, tweeted on X on Monday that the U.S. was "flailing like a desperate gambler" and urged Washington to "fold your hand." He also accused the U.S. of manufacturing fake news about "imaginary talks."

Teheran's top negotiator, Mahammad Bagher Ghalibaf, claimed on X that Israel was pushing the U.S. deeper into conflict, warning that unless Washington abandoned its "Israel First" mindset, America and its allies were headed for a "dark age."

On the ground in Iran, strikes—though not publicly acknowledged by the U.S. military—are reportedly continuing. The island of Qeshm, situated in the Strait of Hormuz, was targeted overnight from Sunday to Monday, according to a statement from the provincial deputy governor on state television. Trump acknowledged that the unpopular war with Iran was at least partially responsible for the Republicans' electoral defeat, citing its contribution to rising prices in the U.S. economy.