Trump Says Iran War Is Militarily ‘Effectively Over’ but Keeps Threat of Renewed U.S. Strikes on the Table
President Donald Trump said Monday that the war with Iran was effectively over militarily and could end soon, but warned that American forces remained ready to strike again if diplomatic efforts failed.
Speaking in the White House briefing room on November 9 after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Trump described Iran as militarily weakened and said Washington was maintaining pressure at the request of neighboring countries.
“Militarily, it's effectively over,” he said. “We're just keeping it at the status quo.”
“We're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly soon,” Trump added.
Yet the president insisted that the United States had not ruled out renewed attacks.
“The military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing, but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason,” he said.
Trump said three American aircraft carriers were positioned in the region and claimed that no U.S. soldier had been killed in the conflict for six months.
He also repeated his demand that Iran abandon any ambition to acquire nuclear weapons.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and that's a non-negotiable point,” Trump declared, claiming that Tehran privately accepted the condition despite publicly denying it.
“Iran is talking to us, and they're talking very politely,” he said.
Trump defended the U.S. naval blockade, saying the Strait of Hormuz was closed “to Iran,” while arguing that maintaining the current military pressure served the interests of neighboring Gulf states.
He described Iran's military leadership as severely weakened and claimed the conflict had effectively begun in 1979. He also alleged that at least 75,000 Iranian protesters had been killed, without presenting evidence for that figure.
His comments followed months of inconclusive negotiations and continued limited military strikes. In a separate Reuters interview Monday, Trump said Qatar and Saudi Arabia preferred a peaceful settlement, although Washington remained prepared to resume attacks.
The president also defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as Republican Representative Thomas Massie pursued impeachment proceedings over the Iran war.
“He won two wars,” Trump said, crediting Hegseth with the U.S. military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela.
Trump dismissed Massie as “a loser” and pledged to stand by the defense secretary.
Turning to Venezuela, he declared that Washington was “totally in charge” and predicted that Cuba's government could “fall fairly soon.” He also expressed confidence that newly appointed White House chief of staff Stephen Miller could work with Democrats, while questioning early-voting figures following the midterm elections.
At the same briefing, Trump defended Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang following allegations involving a businesswoman suspected by U.S. intelligence of spying for China.
Trump said he had spoken directly with Huang and asked whether he knew about the woman's alleged intelligence activities.
“He said, I had no idea that she was. And I really believe him,” Trump told reporters.
Nvidia's board has opened an investigation into the matter.
The briefing also featured an unusual appearance by UFC chief Dana White, whom Trump had jokingly proposed as White House press secretary.
“I have zero political aspirations,” White told reporters after briefly taking the podium.
Trump also clashed with a journalist who questioned him about Russian President Vladimir Putin, dismissing the reporter's outlet, MS NOW, as “fake news.”