US President Donald Trump said that the conflict with Iran could end "for better or worse", specifying that he is about to decide on Washington's next actions towards Tehran.
“We can do it for better, we can do it for worse“, Trump told reporters at the White House. He also said that Iran was “defeated“ and that the country had practically given up on its plans to create nuclear weapons.
The claim about the nuclear program has been disputed by Tehran. In late September, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that rumors about creating nuclear weapons were unfounded. According to him, Iran is a party to the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and maintains that its program is peaceful in nature.
Washington is increasing its forces in the region
Against the backdrop of the harsh statements, the United States is strengthening its military presence in the Middle East. Bloomberg reported that Washington is sending the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and additional forces of about 10,000 sailors and marines to the region.
After the ship's arrival in the region, there may be three American aircraft carrier strike groups at the same time. According to Bloomberg, Iran is preparing for possible new American strikes, despite the country's difficult economic situation.
Negotiations brokered by Qatar are at a standstill
On October 3, key representatives of the Trump administration held a closed-door meeting at Camp David on the next steps towards Iran. The meeting was chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance. It was attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratliff, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine.
At the same time, Washington and Tehran have been holding talks with Qatar as mediators. The proposal called for the US to end the naval blockade and for Iran to make concessions on the nuclear issue. According to Axios, the talks have reached an impasse, as neither side has changed its position.
In June, the US and Iran signed a memorandum to cease hostilities, lift the blockade, and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In July, the exchange of strikes was renewed, after which the US military again imposed a naval blockade on Iran.
Sources: Bloomberg, Axios