US President Donald Trump has decided to hold off on further military strikes against Iran following appeals from Gulf allies to avoid renewed escalation, while maintaining a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the United States remained prepared to resume military action if necessary but saw no immediate reason to deploy its military capabilities.
"The United States of America is fully locked and loaded with the best equipment ever made, and we don't think there's going to be any reason to use it," Reuters cited him telling reporters on Monday.
He said the decision followed appeals from neighbouring countries, specifically Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, which had urged Washington against launching further attacks.
Trump spoke after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensified following last week's US midterm elections.
Al-Thani, who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister, has been a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran. He described his discussions with Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance as positive.
"Grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region," he said in a post on X.
However, prospects for an immediate breakthrough remain uncertain, with Washington rejecting Iran's proposed conditions for ending the conflict.
Iran's proposal calls for the United States to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, ease certain sanctions and halt bombing, in return for Tehran ending its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with negotiations on its nuclear programme and other sanctions to follow.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the conditions as unrealistic, while Iranian security council chief Mohsen Rezaei urged Washington to accept Tehran's demands.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei defended the proposal on Tuesday, describing it as the most reasonable offer available.
Despite Trump's decision to hold off further attacks, military tensions remain high. Iranian state media reported that US forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island overnight on Nov 8, targeting military-related facilities, although a provincial official said vital infrastructure and services were unaffected.
The United States has not commented on the reported strikes.
Meanwhile, attacks on commercial tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz have continued, with Iranian state television reporting that 11 tankers had been disabled over the past 10 days.
The conflict has also increased pressure on Trump's administration at home, following Republican losses in last week's midterm elections, with senior party figures, including Vance, attributing the setbacks partly to the war.
However, Rubio said he did not expect an immediate diplomatic breakthrough, while a senior United Arab Emirates official warned that a comprehensive political settlement remained difficult. -November 10, 2026
