US President Trump Signals Shift Away From Renewed Strikes, Declares Iran War 'Effectively Over'

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he believes the military conflict with Iran is "effectively over." The statement followed a surprise visit to the White House briefing room after Trump met with Qatar's prime minister earlier in the day.

"Iran militarily is effectively over," Trump told reporters, adding that the administration is maintaining the status quo. He noted that Iran's leadership has been "decapitated" while emphasizing the objective of securing a long-term solution to neutralize the country's nuclear programme.

The remarks represent a notable shift away from previous threats to resume military strikes. The political landscape shifted following last week's midterm elections, in which the president's Republican Party lost both chambers of Congress to the Democrats. The electoral outcome was shaped by voter dissatisfaction regarding the eight-month-old war, which triggered rising fuel prices affecting numerous sectors of the global economy.

During the news conference, Trump pointed to "positive momentum" toward ending the conflict without providing specific details. "The military action doesn’t seem to be a very necessary thing, but we’re locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason that changes," he said.

In a prior phone interview with CNN on Sunday, Trump indicated that military strikes are "highly unlikely" to resume provided the US observes progress in negotiations and the signing of a "strong agreement." However, he mentioned that the US has identified infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges, for potential strikes should military action restart.

Despite these diplomatic signals, the US military has continued limited operations over the past week, conducting at least two strikes against Iranian air defences. Additionally, US forces fired upon and disabled a commercial vessel on Saturday, which officials stated was attempting to breach the naval blockade on Iranian ports.

"Geopolitical stability plays a critical role in shaping global economic conditions, particularly through its direct impact on fuel prices and supply chains. For businesses and entrepreneurs globally, prolonged conflicts create cost uncertainties that ripple across nearly every industry. A potential de-escalation and shift toward diplomatic negotiations could help stabilize energy markets and restore predictability to the macroeconomic environment, which is vital for long-term business planning and investment sentiment." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes