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Trump says war with Iran 'very close to over'

Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 09:02

US President Donald Trump gestures after stepping off Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on April 10. [AFP/ YONHAP]

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is "very close to over," a report said Wednesday, amid speculation that peace talks between Washington and Tehran could resume in the near future.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News, as Pakistani officials are striving to facilitate the resumption of negotiations between the United States and Iran, after the two sides yielded no agreement during marathon talks in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday.

“I think it's close to over. I mean I view it as very close to over [...] What if I pulled up stakes right now? It would take them 20 years to rebuild that country," he said. "We're not finished. We'll see what happens."

He reiterated that Iran wants to make a deal "very badly."

In a phone interview with Sky News, Trump raised the possibility that a deal with Iran could come before King Charles III visits Washington late this month.

“It's possible. Very possible. They're beaten up pretty bad. It's very possible," he said.

When negotiations resume, the United States and Iran are expected to seek to bridge differences over a series of high-stakes issues, including U.S. demands for Iran to renounce its nuclear program and take its stockpile of enriched uranium out of the country.

Iran's demands include the release of its frozen assets, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, and its claimed right to regulate traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil, gas and other commodities.

On Tuesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump wants a "grand bargain" with Iran rather than a "small" deal, indicating that he wants a comprehensive peace agreement that covers nuclear and other key issues in a package.

Raising the prospects for additional peace talks, Iran's foreign ministry said that the United States and Iran have exchanged multiple messages since the negotiations ended without a deal in Islamabad over the weekend, according to Iran International, a news outlet.

Meanwhile, Trump claimed in a social media post that China is "very happy" that he is "permanently opening" the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am doing it for them, also — And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks," he wrote on Truth Social.

“We are working together smartly and very well! Doesn't that beat fighting? But remember, we are very good at fighting, if we have to — far better than anyone else!"

Yonhap