Iran Talks: Trump Says US Military Is 'Locked and Loaded' But No Strike Planned

The United States holds no immediate plans to launch new military strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump said during an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday. He described the US military posture as "locked and loaded" should action become necessary, yet he noted there may be no reason to reignite combat operations.

These remarks followed American strikes on Qeshm Island, which a US official confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Monday. The attacks occurred after the Iranian regime claimed to have downed an American drone. Trump characterized the current situation by stating that the US is "not really in a war" with Iran. He cited Operation Midnight Hammer as having "wiped out their nuclear potential incapacity." He also referenced a subsequent campaign called Epic Fury, adding that the country has not engaged in a full war with Tehran for six months or more.

Negotiations regarding Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium remain ongoing. Trump identified this stockpile as a sticking point in previous discussions. He expressed a specific concern about its location, noting it is under hundreds of tons of rock. "I would say that I'm not happy that it will be there," Trump stated. He added that observers will see how that issue resolves.

The president claimed that the indirect negotiations are yielding results. "We seem to be getting everything we want," he told the Financial Times. This assessment stands in contrast to comments from a senior Iranian official who told Reuters on Tuesday that the two nations are far from reaching a deal to end the war.

US Vice President JD Vance provided a more optimistic outlook on the diplomatic progress. Speaking on Sunday, Vance said that he and the president felt "pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement." He noted that there had been a number of good conversations with Iranian officials. Those officials met with Qatari mediators in Doha for three consecutive days. Iran concluded its third day of talks with the Qatari mediators on Tuesday.

Diplomatic channels have remained active this week. Vance sent a letter to Iran regarding the negotiations on Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called that letter a "positive step" toward resuming talks. He made those comments to Al Jazeera on Friday. Trump had told reporters on Monday that he was not considering striking Iran after the midterm elections, which are set to conclude on Wednesday morning.