US President Donald Trump has declared it is "highly unlikely" he will order fresh strikes on Iran, provided that ongoing peace negotiations continue to move forward. Trump made the comments in a phone interview on Monday, offering a rare note of diplomatic restraint even as both countries reported that vessels had been struck in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
"It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement," Trump said. "The answer is, highly unlikely it's going to be necessary."
The statement marks a notable shift in tone from recent weeks, during which Trump had repeatedly threatened to renew major military strikes against Iran following a period of intense military escalation across the Gulf region.
Trump's Midterm Defeat Looms Over Iran Policy
The comments come in the immediate aftermath of a bruising midterm election result for Trump's Republican Party, which suffered a significant defeat that the president himself has acknowledged was at least partly driven by public opposition to the war with Iran. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was reported to have taunted Trump over the electoral outcome, as the conflict emerged as a central issue in the Democrats' landslide victory.
Trump's candid acknowledgement that the deeply unpopular war contributed to his party's poor showing has added fresh political pressure on the administration to find a diplomatic exit. His comments about the conflict's role in the election result represent a significant admission from a president who had previously framed the military campaign in assertive terms.
As part of his broader strategic posture, Trump also warned in the same interview that if strikes were to resume, the US military had identified specific infrastructure targets in Iran, including 38 bridges that he claimed American forces could destroy "in literally one hour." The statement was notable for its level of operational detail, though the interview did not clarify the precise question that prompted it.
Peace Talks on Hold as Iran Assesses Political Fallout
Meanwhile, Araghchi indicated on Sunday that peace negotiations had effectively been paused while both sides took stock of the dramatic shift in the American political landscape following the Democratic Party's decisive election win.
"For the past few days, there has been no more travel by mediators, and the reason for this is the shock that the election results in the United States have caused to everyone," Araghchi told Iranian state television.
"We now have to see how long it will take for them to digest these results, in order to determine how we are going to move forward," he added.
The pause in diplomatic activity comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with both nations continuing to exchange military actions in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Those operations have disrupted the flow of energy exports and other commodities critical to the global economy, raising alarm among trading nations dependent on the waterway.
Incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and Qeshm Island
Over the weekend, a series of explosions was reported in southern Iran, including on Qeshm Island in the strait. Iranian state television suggested the blasts may have been connected to Iranian military activity in the waterway rather than external strikes. Iranian officials did not confirm any incoming missile strikes on Iranian territory following the blasts.
Iran reported that two vessels had struck mines in the strait and a third had caught fire. Separately, the US stated that its air force had disabled a vessel in the Gulf of Oman, beyond the strait itself.
Reports from an Iranian news agency suggested two missiles had struck Qeshm Island, though neither Tehran nor Washington has formally commented on those specific claims. It is worth noting that Washington had previously acknowledged striking Qeshm Island on 2 November as what it described as a limited defensive measure, taken after Iranian forces used surface-to-air missiles against US assets in the region.
The continued incidents underscore the fragility of any potential diplomatic progress, with military activity ongoing even as both sides say they are open to negotiation. For background on the broader strategic context of Trump's foreign policy approach, see the Second presidency of Donald Trump.
Australia to Raise Iran Conflict at ASEAN Talks
The situation is also drawing attention from US allies in the region. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday that he intends to raise the Iran conflict with Trump when the two leaders meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN conference in Manila.
"I'll engage constructively as I've developed a constructive relationship with President Trump," Albanese said, adding that he would approach the conversation "respectfully and diplomatically."
"Australia has for some time now repeatedly said that there is a real impact of the conflict in the Middle East. Everyone knows that's the case," the prime minister said.
With negotiations stalled, shipping disrupted and domestic political pressure mounting on both sides, the coming days are likely to prove critical in determining whether diplomacy can gain genuine traction or whether the region faces a further escalation of strikes across the Gulf region.
