In brief
In a press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump announced "positive momentum" toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict following a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Trump’s statement highlighted the support of Gulf allies for maintaining the naval blockade and Operation Iron Gate, while also warning that U.S. forces remain ready for further action. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio countered that diplomatic progress has been limited and a breakthrough is not imminent.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said that a "positive momentum" had been gained toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House.
Trump communicated the development via a post on his Truth Social platform, noting that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional countries favored keeping the current U.S. naval blockade of Iran and the newly launched Operation Iron Gate. He added that all these countries “would prefer the status quo” and agree that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon, a fact he described as “non‑negotiable.”
During the White House press conference, Trump said, "We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict," and declared that "Iran, militarily, is effectively over. We're just keeping it the status quo." He also warned that U.S. forces remain ready for further military action, stating, "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," and added that at the time the likelihood of renewed strikes appeared low.
"Positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict."
Trump added that any potential military action seemed unnecessary at the moment. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on Sunday, said that diplomatic efforts had made little progress and that a breakthrough was not imminent.
While Trump presents the meeting as a tangible step forward, the statement remains a unilateral claim, and other officials have indicated that significant diplomatic gains have not yet materialized.