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U.S. President Donald Trump said further military action against Iran was unnecessary as Qatari mediation efforts continued, while Tehran urged Washington to accept its seven conditions for ending the conflict.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said the U.S. remained ready to resume military operations if circumstances changed, despite growing hopes for an agreement.
"At this point, taking the military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing—but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason," he told reporters.
Trump also maintained that Israel and the wider Middle East were protected against what he described as the Iranian "danger and threat."
"We're seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it's going to be ending fairly soon," he added. The U.S. president described Washington's current approach as maintaining the status quo but warned that further military action remains an option.
"I don't guarantee anything, but if we do have to go back in, we are locked and loaded," Trump said, adding that another aircraft carrier was equipped with military hardware and ready for deployment. "Hopefully, we don't have to use them," he added.
Trump’s remarks sent Brent, the international benchmark, and U.S. WTI crude lower, extending their losses to 7% and 5%, respectively, at $91.4 and $85.8 per barrel.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Monday to discuss ways to move negotiations between Washington and Tehran forward.
The Qatari leader confirmed the meeting in a post on X, saying the discussions focused on regional developments and efforts to advance diplomatic contacts between the two sides.
"We discussed the situation in the region and ways to progress the US-Iran talks," Sheikh Mohammed wrote. "Grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region," he added.
Trump also welcomed the discussions, describing his conversation with Sheikh Mohammed as "excellent" and pointing to positive momentum toward ending the conflict in a post on Truth Social.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Tehran denied reports of a proposed deal linking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets. An unnamed Iranian official told semi-official Fars News Agency on Monday that the reports were false.
The official added that Iran would negotiate only under its seven conditions, which include lifting the naval blockade and unilateral sanctions, releasing frozen assets and ending the war.
In a separate post on X, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, urged Trump to accept the conditions, dismissing claims of progress in negotiations as "imaginary" and related reports as "lies."
"The war against Iran has already destroyed the U.S. government, but Washington continues to struggle like a desperate gambler," Rezaei wrote, calling on Washington to abandon its military campaign.
"Stop refusing to accept the new order in West Asia. The time has come to surrender to the seven conditions Iran has repeatedly put forward," he added.
The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. A ceasefire was reached in April, but fighting resumed in July as diplomatic efforts stalled.
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