What happened
President Donald Trump said on November 9, 2026, that there is a good chance the military conflict with Iran could end soon. Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump described additional military action as quite unlikely while stating that the United States remains locked and loaded if circumstances change.
Trump said Iran’s military is effectively over and essentially gone following the conflict. He characterized Iran as a failing country and repeated claims that Tehran is not paying its military and that its navy and air force have been decimated.
The president’s comments came after he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs. Qatar has served as an intermediary between the United States and Iran. Trump said the two sides are talking and that Iran is speaking politely.
Trump also described the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports as the greatest military blockade ever. In a social media post, he said Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries prefer that the blockade continue. He added that those nations support Task Force Iron Gate, a U.S. Central Command operation launched on November 7 to prevent Iran from transporting weapons and generating illegal revenue through ground transit routes.
Trump reiterated that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, calling that position non-negotiable. He said his administration is maintaining economic pressure on Iran and hopes a deal will ultimately be reached between Washington and Tehran.
