Trump insists Iran deal is just days away, as both sides pull back from the brink of conflict

Speaking after Monday's exchange of attacks — the biggest blow yet to an April ceasefire in the war with Iran — Trump said further Iranian bombing would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed for months and cost lives.

US President Donald Trump expressed renewed optimism Tuesday morning over negotiations with Iran, saying there was a "good chance" of signing a deal within "two or three days."

"We are very close to reaching a very, very good, strong, powerful deal," Trump said, as the Middle East was still reeling from the exchange of fire between Iran and Israel the day before, in the biggest blow yet to the tense ceasefire in the Iran war.

"If we go and bomb — which we can do very easily if we want to, and spend another two or three weeks bombing — they won't have anything left. But you won't have the Strait (of Hormuz) open for months."

"If we do the bombings, you know, a lot of people are going to get killed. Who's going to do that? Not me," the US president told reporters at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York after watching the NBA finals on Monday night.

Trump did not provide any details about why there was reason for renewed optimism.

Mediators, led largely by Pakistan, have been trying for weeks to reach a deal across the border. However, both Iran and the United States have maintained tough stances.

The US wants Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to still be buried in the country after US airstrikes in the 12-day conflict in 2025.

Iran is rejecting this and is seeking sanctions relief. It also wants frozen assets released even before a final deal is approved, something Trump has rejected.

Apache crashed near Hormuz

Meanwhile, a US Army Apache attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump saying the two crew members on board were "fine" after the incident involving the strategic waterway, which remains under Tehran's control.

The cause of the crash remained unclear Tuesday morning. Iranian state media, citing foreign reports, acknowledged the crash without providing details.

Since the US and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, the war has rocked the global economy, raised energy prices around the world and made many basic goods, including food, more expensive.

Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into an agreement to permanently end the war, especially as Israel intensifies and expands its military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia.

Trump acknowledged the crash, stating that “The pilots are fine, yes.” “Nobody was hurt. We’ll release a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.”

Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the US military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran to reach a deal.

Helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Tehran's drones during the Iran war.

Hezbollah's war still threatens US-Iran deal

Earlier, Israel and Iran appeared to have pulled back from further attacks late Monday, hours after exchanging fire for the first time since the US agreed to a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago. Both countries warned they were ready to launch retaliatory strikes if provoked.

The renewed hostilities have raised concerns that the Middle East could once again plunge into full-scale war. The new attacks prompted Trump to call for an immediate halt to the fighting between Israel and Iran.

Shortly after, the Iranian military’s joint command issued a statement saying it was halting offensive attacks. The statement said that further “aggression and hostile acts” by Israel and its supporters, including in southern Lebanon, would be met with “much harsher and more destructive measures than before.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in a videotaped statement, suggested that the current round of fighting was over. But he also warned that if Iran “makes the mistake of coming back to attack us, we will respond with force.”

Netanyahu said Israel is continuing to operate in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah and that Israel "has the full right to self-defense and we will exercise it to the full extent necessary."

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for the southern port city of Tyre in Lebanon, including the Christian neighborhood, which has so far been spared from devastating airstrikes on the port city, reports Euronews.

Last week, Israel warned residents of Tyre that it believed there were Hezbollah members among them. Many Lebanese civilians fled to those areas as Israeli attacks hit the Mediterranean coastal area over the past two weeks.

Following last week's warning, the Lebanese army deployed to the Christian neighborhood of Tyre in an effort to prevent Israeli attacks there and to show that Hezbollah has no armed presence in the area.

The GeoPost