Key facts
- Trump told reporters that the US is "locked and loaded" should circumstances change in Iran.
- Trump said the US naval blockade on Iranian ports was helping make the region more secure.
- The Qatari prime minister said on X he held positive discussions with Trump and JD Vance on a peace deal.
- Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are among Gulf allies hit by Iranian strikes during the war, per the report.
- Republican congressman Thomas Massie requested a House vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war.
- Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, per the report.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the war with Iran is "militarily is effectively over" and that renewed US attacks on Iran were "highly unlikely", while adding that the US was "locked and loaded" if circumstances changed. Speaking to reporters in the White House press briefing room, Trump said the US was "just keeping it the status quo" at the request of countries neighboring Iran. The report was published on November 10, 2026.
Asked why he would not formally declare an end to the conflict, Trump said some Gulf allies could still face Iranian aggression. "We have some great allies there and we have to make sure they're not hurt," he said, describing the US naval blockade on Iranian ports as helping to make the region more secure.
Earlier on Monday, Trump hosted Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani in the Oval Office, saying they had an "excellent conversation" about negotiations to end the war. In a post on X, the Qatari prime minister said he held "positive discussions" with Trump and Vice-President JD Vance on "reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region". The report describes the negotiations as having largely been held indirectly through mediators since the war began after joint US-Israeli strikes in February.
The report names Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates among US Gulf allies that have been hit by Iranian strikes during the war, and says the threat of strikes has led to air travel disruptions in the region. It makes no statement on shipping or oil supply.
Trump's comments follow his Republican Party's losses in the midterm elections on November 3, in which Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate. In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Trump said he did not see "any reason" to escalate the war. Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about his earlier comments on resolving the conflict, according to the report.