Attendees at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Exposition were skeptical of President Donald Trump’s signal that a deal with Iran to end the war may be near, arguing the United States needs to continue its military and economic pressure on Tehran to bring the conflict to a close."Look at history, and that area only respects strength, right?" a member of AUSA’s Marne chapter in Georgia told Fox News Digital about Iran."We're not going to get a deal with them.
We're going to have to, unfortunately, beat them into submission."He added, "There is no such thing as negotiation.So I think we're probably looking at at least another year, if not two."TRUMP AGAIN SAYS DEAL IS CLOSE, THEN CONFIRMS A LAST-MINUTE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN, BUT DETAILS STILL SECRETAn armed member of Iran's police special forces adjusts a country flag on an armored military vehicle during a pro-government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Jan.
12, 2026.(NurPhoto via Getty Images)The war began in February with joint U.S.
and Israeli strikes on Iran.The conflict has continued despite an April ceasefire and a June agreement intended to pave the way for a broader settlement, which later collapsed amid renewed fighting.Trump still signals optimism about ending the conflict, saying earlier this month that Iran was "ready to fold up" and suggesting the war could end before the November midterm elections."It looks like you guys are holding off because of the midterms," Lincoln from Australia said.He also argued that wealthy Gulf allies should take greater responsibility for their own security."But it also appears that the Gulf allies need to step up and start doing something for themselves, for their own defense," Lincoln said.
"Saudi Arabia doesn't seem to be doing enough.""It shouldn't just be the United States providing security for the entire world," he added.TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL REACHES MAKE-OR-BREAK DEADLINE AS 60-DAY NEGOTIATING CLOCK EXPIRESPresident Donald Trump arrives to speak ...