President Donald Trump said on Monday that the war with Iran is "effectively over," while keeping open the possibility of new strikes, according to Euronews. He made the remarks after meeting Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House.
Trump said Iran "militarily, is effectively over" and that the United States is keeping the status quo, but is "locked and loaded" if it has to go back in, Euronews reported. He also said further strikes on Iran were "quite unlikely" and that all parties agree Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.
At a White House press conference, Trump said taking military action "doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing" at this point, according to the Guardian’s world news report.
Qatar has been a key mediator in the Iran war. Euronews reported that the meeting was Trump’s first with a foreign leader since his party’s midterm losses. Both sides called the discussions excellent or positive, but the sources give no details of what was discussed.
Markets reacted to the comments. Brent crude fell nearly 3% to $89.66 on Tuesday morning, its lowest level since 31 August, after a drop of nearly 6% on Monday, according to the Guardian. Europe’s Stoxx 600 gained 0.9% to 662.54, close to a record high, and London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.4% to 10,828.
Iran’s response was sharply critical. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on X that the US "flails like a desperate gambler" and told Washington to stop "manufacturing fake news about imaginary talks," according to Euronews. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that any such meeting was being planned, and Tasnim reported that Iran would not talk with the US until Washington took concrete steps within Iran’s seven conditions.
The sources disagree on whether a meeting is coming. Turkey’s intelligence service chief, Ibrahim Kalin, cited by media outlets, said Qatar would host a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance and Rezaei next week and called it an important opportunity for a breakthrough. Araghchi’s denial, reported by Euronews, contradicts that account.
The sources also disagree on whether strikes are continuing. Trump said the war is effectively over and further strikes are unlikely. Iranian authorities, speaking to state television through the provincial deputy governor, said strikes were continuing, including on Qeshm island overnight from Sunday to Monday. The US military has not publicly acknowledged those strikes. No independent confirmation of the Qeshm claim appears in the sources.
Separately, the US has set up Iron Gate, a CENTCOM task force that aims to block the transfer of advanced weapons, sanctioned goods and illicit revenues across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea, according to Euronews.
The White House has not responded to the Iranian denials or the claimed Qeshm strikes beyond Trump’s own remarks. The main facts on the diplomacy and strikes rest largely on Euronews reporting, and the Guardian’s market and press conference details are the other main source. US inflation figures for October, due Tuesday, were not included in the sources, but they are expected to influence market direction.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.