In brief
After meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, former U.S. President Donald Trump said there was "positive momentum" toward ending the U.S.-Iran conflict, citing Gulf state support for the naval blockade and the new Operation Iron Gate. He warned U.S. forces remain ready for military action, although such action is unlikely currently. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said diplomatic efforts have made little progress and a breakthrough is not imminent.
During a White House meeting on Monday, former U.S. President Donald Trump told followers on Truth Social that a ‘positive momentum’ was building toward ending the U.S.-Iran conflict after talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
The Trump post asserted that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional states favored keeping the U.S. naval blockade in place and backing the newly launched Operation Iron Gate, designed to cut off Iran’s land‑based supply routes. Trump also stated that all these countries agreed that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, a point he called “non‑negotiable.”
Trump warned that “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,” adding that at the time the likelihood of renewed military strikes on Iran seemed low.
We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict.
Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, explained that diplomatic work has so far yielded little progress and a breakthrough is not expected in the near future.
Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes, a claim that Trump’s statement implicitly challenged.
