US President Donald Trump on Friday reportedly said he expected the war with Iran, which has been simmering for over seven months, to end soon, but offered no details on how that would happen.
“It's going to get wrapped up soon. We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in an interview with Kansas City's KCMO Talk Radio station, Reuters reported.
His remarks come amid US-Iran tensions, with Trump repeatedly wavering on the prospect of fresh military strikes against Tehran.
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Washington and Tehran have been locked in a war-like situation since February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. The conflict disrupted regional security, threatened global energy supplies and brought shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill. Despite a two-week ceasefire in April and a subsequent 14-point memorandum of understanding in June, efforts to secure a lasting peace deal have remained inconclusive.
US' shifting stand on fresh strikes
Earlier this month, Trump said the US would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd,” he said in a post on Truth Social, reiterating his condition that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this month, Trump said the US would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd,” he said in a post on Truth Social, reiterating his condition that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon.
{{/usCountry}}However, CNN, citing two US officials, reported on October 26 that American forces in the Middle East were prepared to launch new and “potentially major” military operations against Iran within 96 hours of receiving an order from Trump.
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“It will be a big effort,” one official was quoted as saying. The officials said the proposed strikes would mark a departure from Washington's current strategy of targeting Iranian infrastructure that could be rebuilt within a short period. This approach has been in place since full-scale military operations were halted earlier this year.
Qatari delegation in Tehran amid US strike threat
Meanwhile, a Qatari delegation leading mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with senior Iranian officials, state media reported.
The delegation was led by a senior adviser to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Its visit comes amid growing concerns that Trump could order fresh strikes against Iran after the midterm elections.
Qatari officials had also visited Tehran last week, when Iran's top national security official Mohsen Rezaee met defence ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The three countries recently signed a regional security pact.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday reiterated Tehran's conditions for ending the war, including an end to the US naval blockade and the lifting of sanctions. Iran has maintained that these steps are necessary before formal peace negotiations can begin.
With inputs from agencies