United States President Donald Trump has said renewed military confrontation with Iran is highly unlikely, although he has warned that further strikes remain possible if Tehran fails to accept a strong agreement with Washington.

Trump made the remarks during an interview with CNN on Sunday, November 8, 2026, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House on Monday.

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The proposed meeting comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Washington and Tehran, which has raised concerns about regional stability and disruptions to global energy supplies.

Responding to questions about the possibility of renewed hostilities, Trump described another round of fighting as highly unlikely but maintained that military action had not been completely ruled out.

He said his decision would depend on whether Iran agreed to what he described as a very strong agreement.

The US president added that he would authorise further military action if necessary, insisting that previous American strikes had inflicted significant damage on Iran.

Trump’s comments followed reports that hostilities could resume after last Tuesday’s US midterm elections, amid his earlier threats to launch additional attacks against Tehran.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated on Sunday that diplomatic negotiations had been put on hold as regional mediators assessed the political implications of the American election results.

Speaking on Iranian state television, Araghchi said there had been no recent movement by mediators and attributed the pause to the political developments in the United States.

He added that Tehran would need to assess how long it would take for Washington and other parties to respond to the election outcome before determining the next steps in negotiations.

Araghchi also criticised America’s involvement in the conflict, arguing that public dissatisfaction with the war and US support for Israel had contributed to the Republican Party’s poor performance in the midterm elections.

Trump has acknowledged that the unpopular conflict with Iran, which began with US-Israeli strikes in late February, played a role in his party’s electoral setback.

During the CNN interview, he also pointed to Iran’s economic difficulties, arguing that financial pressure and military setbacks would force its leadership to accept Washington’s conditions.

Trump claimed that Iran was experiencing inflation of 301 per cent and described its economy as deteriorating. However, Iranian official figures put year-on-year inflation at nearly 90 per cent in September.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported that the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz came under attack overnight on Sunday, following reports of two explosions from the official IRNA news agency.

The developments have heightened concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s energy supplies passes.

Although large-scale fighting has largely subsided, Iran has continued efforts to restrict movement through the waterway, while the US Navy maintains a counterblockade targeting Iranian ports.

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Several regional countries, including Qatar and Pakistan, have continued diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire, although their interventions have yet to produce a definitive agreement.