Trump Says Iran War May Be Nearing the End

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the war with Iran could be nearing an end, although the seven-month conflict shows no immediate sign of stopping.

Trump told reporters that Tehran wants to reach an agreement and had contacted him directly. He provided no details, and his stated goals and timelines for ending the conflict have shifted repeatedly.

Trump is expected to meet leaders or foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to Axios, which cited unnamed sources.

The talks with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman are expected to focus on US strategy for the region after the war. Neither the White House nor the State Department has commented on the report.

One of Washington’s objectives is to weaken Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Tehran maintains that it does not possess nuclear weapons and that its uranium enrichment program is intended for peaceful purposes.

Rising oil and gas prices have also become a political problem for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November’s congressional elections.

(Reuters, bak)