‘Positive momentum’: Is the US war on Iran about to end?

Diplomatic efforts to end the United States-Israel war on Iran have gathered pace, potentially reducing the chance of another round of intense conflict.US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani hailed positive closed-door talks at the White House on Monday, with Trump saying he considers the war “effectively” at an end.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Can the Republican Party survive Trump?list 2 of 3US moves aircraft from second UK base over ‘threat from Iran’list 3 of 3What powers does Netanyahu have as Israel’s interim PM?end of listBut amid talk of peace, both sides have boasted that their militaries are ready and Iran has come under attack.The US “is fully locked and loaded with the best equipment ever made”, Trump said, but added there would likely be no reason to use it as negotiations with Tehran are “going very well”.Iran pointed to the possibility of a diplomatic solution while maintaining a deterrence posture.On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the war would “not end either through military means or by increasing sanctions”, but only through “using the language of respect”.Th...