President Donald Trump said renewed US attacks on Iran were “highly unlikely”, while adding that US forces remained “locked and loaded” if circumstances changed, according to BBC.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he was maintaining the status quo at the request of Iran’s neighbours. His comments followed a meeting with Qatar’s prime minister, whose country has been a mediator in efforts to end the war, BBC reported.
Trump said he planned to hold off on new strikes after appeals from countries in the region, including Qatar, according to Reuters via Channel News Asia.
Trump described the US war on Iran as “effectively over” and said escalation was not needed, while predicting that the conflict would end “fairly soon”, The Guardian reported. The president’s comments did not amount to a formal declaration that the war had ended; BBC reported that he cited the risk of Iranian aggression against Gulf allies when asked why he would not make one.
Oil prices fell following his comments. Brent crude briefly dropped below $90 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since August, according to Reuters via Channel News Asia.
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