New mediators emerge in Iran war

Andrew Mills
Publish Date: April 1, 2026
Published In: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump signalled a possible U.S. drawdown from Iran, telling Reuters on Wednesday that Washington would be “out pretty quickly” but ready to return for limited strikes if needed, even as he claims Iran is now incapable of developing nuclear weapons.

The remarks come as thousands of U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne Division started arriving in the Middle East, underscoring the tension between talk of an off-ramp and Washington’s expanding military options as ​the war enters its fifth week.

In Gulf Currents this week, signals of a U.S. off-ramp contrast with troop deployments, oil market volatility and rising regional threats, underscoring how the war is reshaping ‌diplomacy, markets and daily life across the Middle East.