Trump Sees 'Positive Momentum' Toward Ending War: Gulf States Prefer Status Quo

Washington, Tehran, Doha, Paris – Reuters, AFP – U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington sees “positive momentum” toward ending the war, ruling out the need for new military action “at this stage,” following appeals from countries in the region, after talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who described the discussions at the White House on Monday evening as “positive.”

Trump told reporters on Monday night that he was acting “at the request of neighboring countries” of Iran, specifically naming Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other countries that “prefer that the United States not launch new attacks and maintain the status quo.”

He added that the United States “has done well” in the war and that “Israel and all of the Middle East are protected today from the Iranian threat and dangers.”

Trump had previously spoken in the same vein in a post on his platform, Truth Social, stating, “We are seeing positive momentum toward ending this conflict, and we will ensure that U.S. interests are protected at all times.”

Commenting on his “excellent” talks with the Qatari prime minister, he said, “We agreed that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, and this is non-negotiable!”

He announced that Iran’s military manufacturing capability had been reduced by about 85 percent, adding that it still produces “limited numbers” of missiles and drones.

Axios reported that Trump stopped short of declaring the war over, but his remarks were the “most advanced” in that direction since last February.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman described his talks with both Trump and Vance as “positive.”

In Doha, Ibrahim Al-Hajri, director of the media and communications department at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed to positive reactions from Washington and Tehran.

In Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers, said the economic campaign (against Iran) is “so devastating that there is currently no need for major combat operations. That is what I told our allies here.”

However, he added a warning: “Of course, if Iran crosses certain red lines, if its regime does things it should not do... the U.S. military, the strongest in the world, is ready to respond.”

While French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the possibility of escalation had not been entirely ruled out, his British counterpart, David Lammy, stated, “We need to move beyond a deadlock – neither war nor peace – that is causing deep economic difficulties for our countries.”

The group, on the sidelines of its meetings, called for a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, which “addressed the situation in the Middle East, with a special focus on the Iranian crisis and its security and economic repercussions across the region and the international community as a whole,” according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.