Trump says further US attacks on Iran highly unlikely

Donald Trump told reporters in the White House press briefing room on Monday that further US attacks on Iran are "highly unlikely".

He added that "Iran militarily is effectively over" and said there is "positive momentum" behind talks to end the Middle East conflict. The president said the United States is "locked and loaded" should circumstances change, but that they are "We're just keeping it the status quo," at the behest of neighbouring countries. Iranian officials have repeatedly voiced doubts about Trump’s earlier comments on resolving the conflict.

Trump noted that this is not the first time he has claimed the Iran war is "militarily" over, adding that the context differs now after a bruising set of midterm election results for Republicans, which senior figures including Vice‑President JD Vance attributed to the Iran war. He recalled that, ahead of the midterms, US forces carried out what he described as "minor strikes" on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, but in a 60 Minutes interview aired on Sunday he said he sees "any reason" to escalate the conflict. When asked why he would not formally declare an end to the war, he said some Gulf allies could still face Iranian aggression, stating, "We have some great allies there and we have to make sure they're not hurt," and suggested the US naval blockade on Iranian ports is helping to secure the region.