WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said further strikes on Iran wouldn’t be necessary but the U.S. remains “locked and loaded,” an indication that he’s winding down the conflict after Republicans’ midterm elections loss underscored its deep unpopularity.

“Iran, militarily, is effectively over,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday afternoon. “We’re just keeping it the status quo, and we’re doing that really at the behest of countries that are their neighbors.”

The comments, which build on signs that the U.S. and Iran are moving closer to a breakthrough to end the war, lowered the temperature on the conflict to a point it hadn’t been since the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding in June. The two sides later rejected it and resumed exchanges of strikes.

Trump met earlier Monday with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose nation has served as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. In a post on X, Al-Thani thanked Trump and Vice President JD Vance and said he was “grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region.”

The tone of Trump’s remarks put him at odds with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had told reporters on Sunday that he didn’t have any progress to report and the two sides weren’t on the verge of a breakthrough.

“Right now it hasn’t been very productive, because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable but, in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic,” Rubio said.

Trump, however, didn’t completely rule out further strikes and said American forces remain in the region. The U.S. remains “locked and loaded” in case a new military campaign becomes necessary, he added. The president framed the latest approach largely as a concession to the U.S. allies in the region including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that have come under attack by Iran and its confederates and whose economies have been hit hard by the conflict.

Trump began the war against Iran in February with Israel and promised that it would conclude in a matter of weeks. Months later, without a resolution, concerns about the war and the higher fuel prices it generated helped propel Democrats to victory in the Nov. 3 elections, winning majorities from Trump’s Republican Party in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Vance, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2028, blamed the war for the disastrous GOP defeat. Trump has said he does not regret starting the conflict to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon but acknowledged that it hurt his party politically in the midterms.

Any resumption of all-out hostilities between Washington and Tehran would likely push up oil and energy prices, and lead to fresh assaults by the Iran on its neighbors.

Iran has previously said the U.S. must end a naval blockade of its Persian Gulf ports and lift sanctions as preconditions for resuming peace talks. The U.S. wants Iran to end attacks ships in the Strait of Hormuz, allow energy flows through the crucial waterway to resume and to offer concessions regarding its nuclear program.

The president’s meeting with the Qatari prime minister indicates his interest in the latest negotiations. Trump has promised that fuel prices would come down as soon as the war ended and suggested that would happen after the election, but he has vacillated publicly between suggesting the U.S. would launch fresh attacks against Iran and using more conciliatory language toward Tehran.

One official with knowledge of the talks said Rubio’s comments are more to gain leverage than a sign the negotiations are actually breaking down.

Overnight, the U.S. again struck Qeshm Island, state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported, citing the deputy governor of Hormozgan province. There was no damage to essential infrastructure and the situation is under control, 2 said.

That followed similar strikes last week, described by the U.S. as defensive operations. Since a truce in April, the two sides have skirmished regularly but stopped short of a major escalation.

Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the U.S. meets Tehran’s demands remains on the table, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference on Monday.

“The return of security to the world’s energy arteries requires genuine political will from the other side to break out of the stalemate caused by aggression,” he said.

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(With assistance from John Harney.)

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