US President Donald Trump said it was “highly unlikely” that Washington would have to resume military strikes against Iran if talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz make progress.
“It depends on whether they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump said in a phone interview with CNN. He said the US would take further action if necessary, but that a diplomatic solution was the preferred option.
US forces remain on standby
The president’s statement came eight months after the start of the war, amid a continuing impasse between Washington and Tehran. According to Trump, US forces in the region are prepared for a new operation.
“We’re ready for it. I have three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. All three are fully armed and ready,” he said.
Trump also said that the US had identified targets in Iran, including power plants and bridges. He pointed to 38 bridges that, he said, could be destroyed “literally within one hour”. At the same time, the president said he did not want to destroy Iranian infrastructure because rebuilding it would take years.
The president claims that Iran’s air defences have been destroyed, while the country’s missile and drone capabilities have been severely limited. According to him, Iran has retained around 10% of its missile production capacity and about 15% of its drone production capacity.
Talks remain deadlocked
Qatar is mediating between the US and Iran, but the two sides have remained silent about the state of the negotiations. Diplomatic contacts in the region intensified after the US midterm elections.
Qatar said that Trump had spoken with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about de-escalation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Qatar.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, said that an agreement did not appear to be close. “I wouldn’t say we’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” he told reporters in Florida. Rubio described some of Iran’s demands as unacceptable and unrealistic.
Democrats take control of Congress
Against the backdrop of the war and economic pressure, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections. The vote was described as a major blow to Trump and the Republican Party, while the war with Iran and high prices became some of the main issues for voters.
The new Democratic majority will begin work in January 2027 and is expected to strengthen congressional oversight of the administration, military operations and the way the president exercises his foreign policy powers.
Trump acknowledged that the election result had changed the political landscape, but continued to defend his actions against Iran. In his view, a new military operation could be avoided if Tehran accepted a treaty that Washington deemed sufficiently reliable.
Sources: edition.cnn.com, apnews.com