US President Donald Trump has indicated that Washington is not planning an immediate fresh wave of military strikes against Iran, saying the conflict is “effectively over” from a military standpoint.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Trump said Iran's military capabilities had been significantly weakened and that the United States was currently maintaining the status quo.
"Iran militarily is effectively over," Trump said. "We're just keeping it the status quo."
Trump claimed that Iran had been "decapitated", while emphasising that Washington was still seeking a long-term solution to ensure that Tehran's nuclear programme is dismantled.
Notably, Trump’s change in tone came just days after the Republican Party faced a stinging defeat in the US midterm polls, as Democrats swept into control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a separate social media post, the US President reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained "non-negotiable". He also announced that key Gulf allies had backed a joint land-and-sea blockade against Iran under the Operation Iron Gate.
Trump further warned that American forces remained on high combat readiness and could respond if the situation in the region changed.
"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. At this point, however, that seems to be quite unlikely. Israel, and the entire Middle East, are protected from Iranian danger and threats," he said.
Meanwhile, Tehran responded to Trump's remarks with a warning, insisting that Washington must accept Iran's seven conditions for an immediate end to the conflict in West Asia.
"The war against Iran has torn the US government apart, but Washington is flailing like a desperate gambler. Stop playing. Stop making up news about imaginary negotiations. Do not deny the new order in West Asia. It is time to surrender to Iran's seven conditions," Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said.
Iran's seven conditions reportedly include an end to hostilities across all fronts, the lifting of the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and the immediate reopening of shipping routes through the strategic waterway.
The demands also include the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran, the release of Iranian assets frozen overseas and an end to what Tehran describes as US interference in its internal affairs.
