US President Donald Trump said the eight-month war with Iran was ‘militarily effectively over’ in a snap news conference, suggesting a resumption of major combat operations is unlikely despite speculation about renewed bombing following the midterm elections. Trump defended the conflict and his embattled Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who now faces an impeachment resolution in Congress.
The US bombed Iranian nuclear sites last year. There have been limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, but little kinetic action in the war for months. Oil shipments through the strait have increased under US Navy protection. Trump’s comments appeared to dispel the notion of a ‘final blow’ being under serious consideration.
Trump spoke at a snap news conference alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship boss Dana White. ‘Iran, militarily, is effectively over,’ he said. ‘We’re just keeping it the status quo. We’re doing that really at the behest of countries that are their neighbours.’ He described Iran as a ‘failing country’ with ‘301 per cent inflation’ and said its military and Revolutionary Guard are no longer being paid.
‘At the conclusion of the military engagement, the American people and the people of the world will be far safer and more secure than they’ve been in many, many years,’ Trump added, saying that if the US has to go back in, ‘we are locked and loaded and ready to go.’
In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump acknowledged the war had cost his Republican Party votes at the polls, saying voters disliked the war and higher gasoline prices. He said Pickaxe Mountain was under constant surveillance and that it ‘would be done in one hour’ if needed.
The president does not rule out a return to combat, but a long-term plan for safe, toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz without ships being fired upon by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains elusive.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The declaration signals a likely end to major combat, which could stabilise global oil markets and ease upward pressure on petrol prices.
- It removes the immediate prospect of a large-scale US military operation in the Middle East, which would have carried risks of broader escalation.
- The war’s unpopularity has already reshaped US domestic politics, as Trump acknowledged it contributed to his party’s losses in the midterm elections.
Background
The eight-month Iran war began after the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites last year. The US military has since conducted limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and provided naval protection for oil shipments, but a long-term solution for safe passage remains elusive. The war contributed to rising gasoline prices and became a political liability for Trump’s Republican Party, which lost control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faces an impeachment resolution.
What to Watch
- Whether Trump’s ‘locked and loaded’ warning translates into any further strikes or remains a rhetorical device.
- The progress of the impeachment resolution against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- Diplomatic efforts by Qatar and other neighbours to shape a post-war arrangement.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedTrump said the Iran war was ‘militarily effectively over’.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “President Trump said the war in Iran was “militarily effectively over”.”
- SupportedTrump said major combat operations were unlikely to resume.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “remarks that suggest a resumption of major combat operations is unlikely”
- SupportedTrump said the US was ‘locked and loaded’ if it had to go back in.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “But if we do have to go back in, we are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
- Reports differThe war was eight months old.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Trump defended the eight-month-old war”
- SupportedTrump made the remarks at a snap news conference alongside UFC boss Dana White.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “In a snap news conference where he was joined by Ultimate Fighting Championship boss Dana White”
- SupportedTrump defended the war and Pete Hegseth, who faced an impeachment resolution in Congress.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Trump defended the eight-month-old war and his embattled Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who now faces a n impeachment resolution in Congress.”
- SupportedTrump called Iran a ‘failing country’ and said it had ‘301 per cent inflation’.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““It’s a failing country, it’s got 301 per cent inflation,” he said, without offering evidence.”
- SupportedThe US bombed Iranian nuclear sites last year.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The mountain – and the three other Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the US last year – were under constant surveillance, he added.”
- SupportedThere had been limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz but little kinetic action in the war for months.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Other than limited strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, there has been little kinetic action in the war for months.”
- SupportedOil shipments through the strait had increased under US Navy protection.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “While shipments of oil through the strait have increased under US Navy protection”
- SupportedIn a Sunday 60 Minutes interview, Trump acknowledged the war cost Republicans votes, citing dislike of the war and higher gasoline prices.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “In his 60 Minutes interview, Trump acknowledged the unpopular Iran war cost his Republican Party votes at last week’s midterm elections”
- SupportedTrump said Pickaxe Mountain was under constant surveillance and that it ‘would be done in one hour’ if needed.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Trump said the US could bomb Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain if it needed to, but there had been “very little activity there”. “It would be done in one hour, it would be taken care of,” he said. The mountain – and the three other Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the US last year – were under constant surveillance, he added.”