Trump declares war in Iraq effectively over

Emphasis on the continued maritime military blockade

After U.S. President Trump held talks with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the 9th, he declared that the war with Iran is "effectively over" and that military action is not necessary for the time being. However, he also emphasized that the U.S. military is still ready to attack and will continue to implement a naval military blockade against Tehran. Mohammed is Tehran's key mediator; after last week's U.S. midterm elections, all parties are stepping up efforts to seek an end to Iran's war.

An agreement is still needed to block Iran’s nuclear weapons program

Trump suddenly appeared in the White House press room that day and announced to the media that the military conflict with Iran was essentially over and that the status quo would be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Persian Gulf countries. Although he believed that Tehran had been "beheaded," he still sought to reach a long-term agreement to ensure that Iran would be unable to develop a nuclear weapons program.

Earlier, Trump posted on his social platform "Real Community" that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait prefer to maintain "the status quo, which is to continue the most powerful naval blockade in history."

Trump stated that the chance of resuming military operations against Iran is "very low" and "military action does not seem to be necessary." However, the US military is still "ready for action" in response to changes in the situation and has no intention of lifting the naval blockade.

Trump expressed optimism that "Israel and the entire Middle East are protected from the dangerous threat of Iran." "We see positive trends toward ending the conflict and ensuring that U.S. interests are protected. When the war ends, the American people and the world will be safer."

Rubio said negotiations have made limited progress

However, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said on the 8th that substantial progress in negotiations with Iran has been limited, "because the other party's demands are not only unacceptable, but some are even intolerable, absurd and unrealistic." Bloomberg quoted officials familiar with the matter as saying that Rubio's comments were more of a negotiating tactic than suggesting that negotiations between the United States and Iran had broken down.

Iran has shown no signs of concession or compromise, insisting that the preconditions for nuclear negotiations are ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, lifting sanctions, unfreezing assets, compensating for war damage, and ending all hostilities, including in Lebanon. Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that as long as Washington implements the above requirements, the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy waterway, can be reopened within two days.

US military planes withdraw from British base for second time

At the same time, the US military also withdrew several military aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in the UK on the 9th. This is the second withdrawal of B-1 and B-52 bombers from RAF Fairford in early October to prevent potential threats from Tehran.

The US military first transferred two tanker aircraft to Germany, and later in the day mobilized several tanker aircraft to Germany and other locations. The US military also upgraded the force protection status (FPCON) of Maddenhowe and RAF Lakenheath to "Charlie" level (meaning intelligence indicates that certain types of terrorist activities may occur in the area). Political and intelligence affairs leaders in the U.S. Congress, known as the "Gang of Eight," have received relevant briefings.