Trump says Iran war is militarily 'effectively over' after Qatar PM meeting
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Iran war is militarily effectively over and that talks show positive momentum. Iranian officials dismissed his remarks as fake news, according to Al Jazeera.
- Trump spoke after meeting Qatar's prime minister at the White House on Monday
- He said further military action against Iran does not seem very necessary at this point
- Iranian officials called his remarks 'fake news', Al Jazeera reported
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is positive momentum toward a deal to end the Iran war. He spoke to reporters at the White House after meeting Qatar's prime minister, according to Arab News.
Trump said he believes the war in Iran is militarily effectively over and that the US is just keeping the situation at the status quo. He added that Iran has been decapitated, but said he still wants a long-term solution that ensures Iran's nuclear programme is defanged, Arab News reported.
On the prospect of new strikes, Trump said: "At this point, taking the military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing — but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason." Anadolu Agency carried the remarks.
He also said: "We're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly soon." He said he hopes the US can reach a deal with Iran.
Trump gave no guarantee. "I don't guarantee anything, but if we do have to go back in, we are locked and loaded," he said. According to Anadolu, he said the US has another aircraft carrier and that its military is fully loaded with new equipment, which he hopes will not have to be used.
Anadolu also reported that Trump said Israel and the wider Middle East are protected from the Iranian danger and threat. CNBC reported that he cited the destruction of Iran's navy and surging inflation, which he said has hollowed out Tehran's economy.
Al Jazeera reported that Iranian officials dismissed Trump's remarks as fake news after he suggested keeping the status quo. Another Al Jazeera report said Iran demanded that the US surrender to its conditions.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 9 November that Trump said new strikes on Iran were highly unlikely if talks keep progressing, while noting force could still be used. On 7 November we reported that he confirmed limited US strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island while saying talks were making progress. On 10 November the KSE-100 gained 3,343 points, or 1.89%, to 177,230.29 by 10:07am after his remark that military action was not necessary at this point.
Why it matters for Pakistan
The Iran war is closely followed in Pakistan because it affects fuel prices, Gulf jobs and remittances. khabr.pk's figures show petrol at Rs346 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs378 per litre on 7 November. Pakistan's stock market has reacted to Trump's comments, with the KSE-100 rising sharply on 10 November.
