Trump says Iran war will end quickly with US victory

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran will end very quickly and that the United States will win it, according to a post on Al Jazeera Arabic's Telegram channel. The claim has not been independently confirmed.

In the post, the channel quoted Trump as saying the US would win "just as we won in Venezuela". The post was a short breaking-news alert. It gave no details on where or when he spoke, or on what he meant by victory. Its timestamp is 27 October 2026.

Separately, BBC Persian reported on its live page that Trump told an election rally he would not change his decision to attack Iran if he could go back. He described the war as one of the "best" things he had done, according to the broadcaster's summary. The sources do not say whether this was the same appearance as the one in the Telegram post.

Netanyahu and the Pentagon

BBC Persian also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to supporters about a "unique opportunity". He said Israel, together with Trump, could remove the Iranian threat "once and for all". The live page said his remarks came as results from an Israeli election were being reported. It did not give the date or place of his speech.

The same page cited the Pentagon as saying the United States has so far spent $47 billion on the Iran war. BBC Persian did not say when the Pentagon made the statement. It also did not say how the figure was calculated.

Iranian response

Iran's government criticised Trump's comments about what the live page called the Islamabad understanding. In a statement carried by BBC Persian, Iran said his remarks were further evidence that the United States disregards its international commitments. The page did not describe the content of that understanding.

President Masoud Pezeshkian told a cabinet meeting that ministers, agency heads and deputies must stay fully prepared while managing and reducing costs. He said the government would work to move beyond a situation of "neither war nor peace". He also asked state bodies to be ready for "changing conditions" in the country.

Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed the cabinet on a visit by a Qatari delegation. He also described consultations with three senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. According to IRNA, those meetings included warnings about possible Israeli military action, with US backing.

Qatari draft deal

BBC Persian cited Reuters, which quoted an unnamed source familiar with the matter. According to that source, Qatari mediators gave Iranian officials a new draft agreement to end the war on Sunday. Iran was expected to respond by the end of the week.

The source also said there had been concern, before a four-party meeting in Tehran on Monday, that Netanyahu might resume attacks that week. The sources do not name the parties to that meeting. They also do not say what the attacks would involve.

Dispute with Qatar

Iran and Qatar also traded public criticism. According to IRNA, Mahmoud Maleki, head of the public relations office at Iran's foreign ministry, responded to remarks by Ibrahim al-Hashemi, who heads the communications department at Qatar's foreign ministry.

Al-Hashemi had said Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council states had repeatedly declared their readiness to set up a regional security framework. He said it was now up to Tehran to adhere to the proposed principles and show good faith. He added that Iran should turn its stated positions into action, stop threatening regional states and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Maleki said Iran expects all countries, including Qatar, to show reciprocal good faith in their policies. BBC Persian's account of his statement is cut off. It says he called on Qatar to avoid repeating certain actions, especially allowing "aggressor parties" to use its territory and facilities for military aggression against Iran. A senior Iranian foreign ministry official separately urged Qatar to "adhere to the requirements of mediation" and be more careful in its media comments.

Moscow visit

Pezeshkian returned to Iran after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on the sidelines of a summit of gas-exporting countries, BBC Persian reported. The summary said he also met the emir of Qatar. Iranian newspapers gave the Putin meeting wide coverage. According to BBC Persian, the papers Donya-e-Eqtesad and Etemad described it as important at a time of high tension between Iran and the United States and the possibility of another round of military strikes.

The same report said Tehran's front pages largely ignored the Israeli election. Major Iranian news agencies and state television gave the results a large share of their coverage.

What is not confirmed

The Telegram post is the only source for Trump's remark about winning quickly and the Venezuela comparison. No official transcript or video of the statement was available in the material reviewed. The sources do not say what military or diplomatic steps Trump has in mind. They also do not say whether Iran will accept the Qatari draft or how it will respond to Trump's remarks.

Background

The sources describe a war between the United States and Iran that has gone through at least one pause or understanding, and they indicate that a further round of strikes is feared. Pezeshkian's phrase "neither war nor peace" points to an unresolved situation. Qatar has acted as a mediator. Its role has been tested by the exchange with Tehran over security in the Gulf and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.