Washington, Nov 10 (V7N)- US President Donald Trump has said that the US-Israeli war with Iran is effectively over, claiming that Iran's military capabilities and leadership have been largely destroyed.

He made the remarks following a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday (November 9), Al Jazeera reported.

Trump said Iran was militarily "effectively finished" and that the United States was now maintaining the status quo. However, he stressed that he wanted a long-term solution to prevent Iran from pursuing its nuclear programme.

He also said that regional countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, wanted the current situation to be maintained.

The US president added that Washington was prepared to launch further attacks if necessary, although he did not currently see a need for another military operation.

US Vice President JD Vance was also present at the meeting.

Following the talks, the Qatari prime minister said they had discussed ways to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran and restore peace in the Middle East. He described the discussions as positive.

Iranian officials, however, rejected Trump's remarks, dismissing them as fake news.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the war had already created serious difficulties for the US government. He urged Washington to stop spreading what he described as false reports about imaginary negotiations.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei wanted to bring an end to the current situation, which he described as "neither war nor peace".

Pezeshkian said Iran was prepared to engage in negotiations but would not surrender under pressure.

The conflict began on February 28 and subsequently spread to several countries across the Middle East, disrupting international trade.

Following US and Israeli attacks, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which significant quantities of oil, gas and other commodities, including fertiliser, are transported.

In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Many of the attacks reportedly targeted US military installations.

END/SMA/AJ