United States President Donald Trump has described the possibility of renewed military strikes against Iran as “highly unlikely”, but warned that further military action remains an option if Tehran fails to accept Washington’s proposed agreement.
Trump said any decision to resume attacks would depend on whether Iran agrees to what he described as a “very strong agreement”. He also maintained that the United States had already inflicted significant military damage on the country.
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump said he would order fresh strikes if necessary, although he expressed doubt that the conflict would return to full-scale fighting.
His remarks came ahead of a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House on Monday, as regional mediators continue efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire.
The meeting is expected to be Trump’s first with a foreign leader since the Republican Party lost control of Congress in last Tuesday’s midterm elections, a defeat he has partly attributed to public dissatisfaction with the war against Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said peace talks had been suspended as mediators assessed the political implications of the US election results.
“For the past few days, there has been no more travel by mediators, and the reason for this is the shock that the election results in the United States have caused to everyone,” Araghchi told Iranian state television.
He added that Iran would have to wait to determine how long Washington needed to assess the election outcome before deciding on the next steps in the negotiations.
Araghchi also said in a post on X that Trump recognised widespread opposition among Americans to Israel and the prolonged conflict, adding that Americans were “sick and tired of Israel bamboozling US administrations into Forever Wars”.
Trump, however, maintained that economic pressure would eventually force Iran to accept Washington’s demands, claiming that the country was facing severe financial difficulties.
Although large-scale fighting has largely subsided, tensions remain over the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy supplies. Iran is seeking to maintain its blockade, while the US Navy continues its counterblockade of Iranian ports.