US President Donald Trump said the US-Iran war is “very close” to ending, as hostilities ease under a two-week ceasefire agreement, in an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday.
“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump said in the interview on Mornings with Maria.
His remarks come as peace talks between US officials and Iranian negotiators are expected to resume Thursday, following stalled weekend discussions in Pakistan.
On Monday, Trump instituted a naval blockade of all Iranian ports, following a pause in US bombing operations last week.
Trump said US operations continue despite signs of de-escalation. “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”
Vance: ‘A lot of progress’ in Iran nuclear talks
Vice President JD Vance and senior White House officials held talks with Iranian officials over the weekend in Pakistan on Tehran’s nuclear program and enrichment plans.
The talks reportedly did not produce a breakthrough, though Vance said on Monday that “a lot of progress” had been made. “The ball is very much in their court,” he said, adding that “the Iranians are going to determine what happens next.”