Trump Strongly Rules Out Further Strikes on Iran if Talks Make Progress
Key Facts
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday it was "highly unlikely" he would order new attacks on Iran as long as talks aimed at ending the conflict were making progress. Trump linked his position to the course of negotiations, adding that signing a strong agreement factored into his calculations about avoiding a resumption of strikes. His remarks came as regional risks remained in focus despite his conditional talk of de-escalation. U.S. and Iranian reports said ships had come under attack in or near the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters said it could not verify the reported strikes.
Trump’s wording means the prospect of new attacks depends, as he put it, on the continuation and progress of talks, rather than on an announcement of a final end to operations. He indicated that signing a strong agreement was part of the process that justified ruling out strikes for now. But he gave no timeline for reaching an agreement or details of its terms. Meanwhile, reports of ships around the Strait of Hormuz remained an indication of continued tensions in the region. Reuters did not confirm those reports, leaving uncertainty around them.
Trump had hinted at resuming major attacks on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, Reuters reported. Even so, there was no sign of a large-scale U.S. military operation being carried out. That context places Sunday’s remarks within a position that combines his earlier suggestion that attacks could resume with his strong ruling out of strikes as long as talks are making progress. Trump did not say when that assessment might change, linking it only to developments in negotiations. The course of the talks therefore remained central to his stated assessment of the likelihood of strikes.
As part of mediation efforts, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was scheduled to meet Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington later on Monday. The expected meeting came as part of efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran to end the conflict. However, U.S. and Gulf officials questioned whether an agreement was close. An Emirati official said a comprehensive political settlement between the United States and Iran appeared difficult. He added a warning: "We should prepare for a long period of uncertainty, during which neither a decisive resolution nor the establishment of a stable regional order can be taken for granted."
In markets, the dollar index rose 0.7% to 102.18 on November 6, 2026, after the jobs report, according to Reuters via Investing.com. Following the data, bets on the Federal Reserve raising interest rates in the following month increased to 78%, from 70% earlier. These figures reflect a move recorded in the November 6 session, before Trump’s remarks on Sunday, and do not measure currency moves in the session covered by the news. The impact of the jobs report and the increase in rate bets formed part of the dollar’s context immediately before the remarks on Iran. No verified figures for euro or yen moves in the November 9 session were available among the facts at hand.