Trump says US is ready to strike Iran but sees no need yet

US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Washington has no immediate plans to resume military strikes against Iran, even as he described the American military posture as 'locked and loaded.' The remarks, given during an interview with the Financial Times, land in a tense window where both sides claim progress in talks but disagree on how close a final deal actually is.

Trump asserted that the United States is 'not really in a war' with Tehran. He pointed to previous operations, specifically 'Midnight Hammer' and 'Epic Fury,' arguing that these actions 'wiped out their nuclear potential incapacity.' He estimated that a full-scale war has not occurred for six months or more, suggesting a pause in direct combat.

The president claimed that ongoing indirect negotiations are yielding results. 'We seem to be getting everything we want,' Trump told the Financial Times. He noted that discussions regarding Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium continue, a topic that has caused friction in past diplomatic efforts.

However, Iranian officials paint a different picture. A senior Iranian representative told Reuters on Tuesday that the US and Iran are far from reaching an agreement to end the war. This gap in assessment exists despite recent diplomatic activity, including a third day of talks in Doha between Iranian officials and Qatari mediators.

US Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism on Sunday following those Doha meetings. He said he and the president 'both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement.' Vance added that the team would 'keep on working at it' to close the remaining gaps.

Diplomatic channels have remained active this week. The Wall Street Journal reported that Vance sent a letter to Iran regarding the negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on Friday, calling the letter a 'positive step' toward resuming direct talks, according to comments made to Al Jazeera.

The situation has escalated recently. US forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island after the Iranian regime claimed it had downed an American drone. A US official confirmed the strikes to The Jerusalem Post on Monday. Trump told reporters on the same day that he was not considering new strikes immediately after the midterm elections, which are scheduled to conclude on Wednesday morning.