US President Donald Trump has said further American military strikes against Iran are “highly unlikely”, signalling a possible shift towards de-escalation as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict gather momentum.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said Iran was effectively defeated militarily and suggested Washington was prepared to maintain the current situation while negotiations continued.

“Iran militarily is effectively over,” Trump said, adding that there was “positive momentum” behind efforts to reach an agreement.

“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” he said, explaining that the decision was largely being taken at the request of neighbouring countries.

Although Trump played down the prospect of renewed attacks, he warned that US forces remained prepared to respond if circumstances changed.

“We’re locked and loaded,” he said, while describing further strikes as “highly unlikely”.

The comments come amid growing pressure on the Trump administration to bring the conflict to an end, following bruising midterm election results for Republicans last week. 

Several senior party figures, including Vice-President JD Vance, have pointed to the war as a factor behind the party’s poor performance.

Trump had previously indicated that US forces carried out what he described as limited strikes on an Iranian island near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. 

However, in a television interview broadcast on Sunday, he said he currently saw no reason to escalate the military campaign.

He also stopped short of formally declaring the war over, arguing that Washington still had to protect its Gulf allies from possible Iranian attacks.

The US naval blockade of Iranian ports, he suggested, was helping maintain security across the region.

Global oil prices fell further following Trump’s latest remarks, with Brent crude dropping more than 1% to around $91.50 a barrel, while US crude also declined.

Gulf diplomacy intensifies

Trump’s comments followed a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday.

The US president described their discussions as excellent, while the Qatari leader said he had held positive talks with Trump and Vance on reaching an agreement and restoring regional peace.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have largely been conducted through intermediaries since the war erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran in February.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are among Washington’s Gulf partners that have been targeted by Iranian attacks during the conflict, while security concerns have also caused significant disruption to regional air travel.

Political pressure mounts in Washington

Meanwhile, the war is generating further political tensions in Washington.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie on Monday announced plans to force a House of Representatives vote this week on impeaching Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of the conflict.

Hegseth, who has received Trump’s backing, dismissed the threat, describing Massie’s effort as a “sham”.

The impeachment initiative is unlikely to succeed while Republicans retain control of Congress. However, Democrats have indicated they could pursue the matter when the new congressional session begins in January.

For Trump, the challenge is increasingly twofold: finding a diplomatic exit from the conflict while managing mounting political pressure at home and reassuring US allies across the Gulf.

The foundation stone has been laid for three new pharmaceutical production blocks at Ovison Pharma in Herat, with an investment of $30 million, while the factory’s new serum and injectable production line has also been inaugurated.

The new production blocks will be constructed on a 3,000-square-metre site, with each facility planned to have five floors. Equipped with advanced machinery and designed to meet international standards, the expansion is expected to significantly increase the factory’s pharmaceutical production capacity.

Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated serum and injectable production line is capable of producing up to 100,000 packages of serum per day.

The expansion marks a significant step toward strengthening Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical industry, increasing domestic production and reducing the country’s reliance on imported medicines.

The investment is also expected to support the development of local manufacturing capacity and improve access to domestically produced pharmaceutical products.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected the US State Department’s decision to place Afghanistan under its highest travel warning, describing the advisory as unjustified and insisting that foreign nationals face no security threats in the country.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said citizens from various countries, including tourists, diplomats, journalists and businesspeople, continue to visit Afghanistan.

He added that those visitors maintain relations with various countries, including the United States, and that security forces pay special attention to protecting foreign nationals and individuals linked to international organisations and governments.

Mujahid said the reasons behind Washington’s concerns would be examined, but maintained that, from the Islamic Emirate’s perspective, no one faces a threat in Afghanistan.

His remarks came after the US Department of State placed Afghanistan among 23 countries under its Level 4 travel advisory, urging American citizens not to travel to the country.