President Donald Trump said Friday that the war between the United States and Iran will end soon, though he offered no timetable or explanation of how. "It's going to get wrapped up soon," he told Kansas City radio station KCMO in an interview ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
"We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon," Trump added, repeating the U.S. demand. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons and says it has a right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, according to India Today.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said, "There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. They're not paying their soldiers. They're not paying their police." He added, "We have time, frankly. It's a war, but it is not a typical war." He said the U.S. had been there for seven months and was spending relatively little money, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Friday to meet senior Iranian officials in an effort coordinated with Washington, according to The Jerusalem Post and India Today. The Jerusalem Post reported that Qatar presented Iran with a draft proposal on Sunday, which a senior Iranian official rejected. The main dispute is sequencing: Washington wants Iran's nuclear program discussed from the start, while Tehran wants the U.S. to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and sanctions on its oil exports first.
Vice President JD Vance also sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, delivered through Qatari intermediaries, according to The Wall Street Journal as cited by Israel National News and India Today. India Today, citing the Journal, said it contained no specific peace terms and aimed to test whether the sides could find common ground. The New York Times reported Vance proposed an early meeting that he would lead, possibly in Qatar or Turkey. Trump said Thursday the letter concerned delivery of medical equipment to Iran, The Jerusalem Post reported. Iran has not publicly announced a decision on a meeting.
Military options remain open. Trump has said the U.S. would not strike Iran before the elections. The Wall Street Journal reported that CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper briefed Trump at the White House on possible operations, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine attending, and that Gulf Arab states were told of a possible brief, intense campaign after the vote. Trump has not confirmed any plans for further strikes.
