Is there a glimmer of hope for US-Iran peace again? Trump: There is now positive momentum to end the war; a strike on Iran is unlikely.

After meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister at the White House on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the blockade on Iran and "Iron Gate" task force operations will continue. But he also said positive momentum has emerged toward ending the Iran war, and a strike on Iran is currently unlikely. These remarks further downplayed concerns that the United States would escalate military action against Iran after the midterm elections. According to reports from CCTV News and other media, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social" on November 9 local time that he had "an excellent conversation" that day with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed, a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran, during which Iran-related issues were discussed in depth. Trump said in the post, "Most importantly, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others prefer to maintain the status quo in other words, continuing the 'largest naval blockade in history' and the new 'Operation Iron Gate' so the blockade covers both land and sea." Trump said all parties agreed that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Trump also warned that if the regional situation changes, the United States is ready to act at any time. But he also said positive momentum has now emerged toward ending the Iran war. "If there is any change in the development of the situation in the Middle East, the United States is on high alert and ready to act at any time. However, for now, this seems unlikely to happen. Israel and the entire Middle East region are protected. We are seeing positive momentum toward ending this conflict and will ensure that U.S. interests are always safeguarded," he wrote. Trump also told reporters on Monday that he believes the Iran war "is actually over militarily" and "we are just maintaining the status quo." He added that he is still seeking to ensure a long-term solution is found to completely eliminate Iran's nuclear program. Trump said on the 8th that if U.S.-Iran negotiations make progress, the possibility of the United States launching another military strike on Iran is very small, but this depends on whether Iran signs a "very strong agreement." He also stressed that the United States may still take military action if necessary. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed posted on X that he had positive discussions on Monday with U.S. President Trump and Vice President Vance. "Thank you to all parties for the positive discussions on reaching an agreement and bringing peace to the region," he wrote. In recent weeks, there have been signs that the United States and Iran are moving toward a possible breakthrough to end the war, with Iran showing willingness to discuss issues related to its nuclear program. Iranian President Pezeshkian said on the 9th that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba has ordered an end to the "neither war nor peace" state, and said Iran is willing to negotiate but will not yield to coercion or bullying. On the eve of the midterm elections, the United States continued to send more troops to the Middle East. At the time, there was speculation that the Trump administration was deliberately waiting until after the election to restart military action in order to avoid a strong voter backlash that could affect the election outcome. However, Republicans ultimately suffered a historic defeat and lost control of both chambers of Congress. U.S. Vice President Vance also said shortly after the election that the Iran war was precisely the key reason for this crushing defeat. This article is reprinted from Cailian Press. GMTEight editor: Chen Wenfang.