Trump Says Gulf States Favor Continuing the U.S. Blockade on Iran as He Warns Military Is Ready to Strike Again

President Donald Trump said Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries favor maintaining the U.S. blockade on Iran, while warning that American forces remain ready to resume military strikes if the regional situation changes.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, November 9, Trump described a conversation with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani that focused heavily on Iran.

“Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others, would prefer the status quo,” Trump wrote, defining that position as continued enforcement of the U.S. naval blockade and the newly launched Operation Iron Gate, extending pressure on Iran by land and sea.

The president provided no public statements from those governments independently confirming their support for continuing the blockade. Qatar has been mediating negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

Trump insisted that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained a shared regional objective.

“All have agreed that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon — That is non-negotiable!” he wrote.

He also issued a warning about possible renewed military action.

“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.”

Trump nevertheless suggested that fresh escalation was unlikely and expressed optimism about the prospects for ending the conflict.

“We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict,” he wrote, promising to protect American interests throughout the process.

In a separate interview with Reuters, Trump said Qatar and Saudi Arabia preferred a peaceful resolution. He indicated that he was in no hurry to resume airstrikes, describing himself as satisfied with maintaining the naval blockade.

The latest remarks come as Qatar works to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran over sanctions, the blockade, Iran’s nuclear program and the terms of a lasting settlement.

Iran has demanded an end to the U.S. blockade as part of any agreement to restore unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28 and has continued for more than eight months without a comprehensive settlement.