Trump: US and Iran may hold new talks, we are very close to a deal

US President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran are "very close" to reaching a deal to end the war, adding that negotiators from the two countries could meet for a second round of talks this weekend.

"We'll see what happens. But I think we're very close to making a deal with Iran," Trump told reporters at the White House on April 16, repeating the word "close" more than once and adding that "there's a good chance we'll make a deal."

At an event later held in Las Vegas, Trump reiterated this stance, telling attendees that the war was going "very well" and that it "should be over very soon."

Trump gave few details about the possible elements of a deal to end the war, which began after US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28. But he said Iran has agreed to “give us back the nuclear dust,” referring to its stockpile of enriched uranium, which if enriched to a certain level is a key ingredient for nuclear weapons.

He said he was not sure whether the two-week ceasefire, which expires on April 22, would need to be extended and that "if there is no agreement... the fighting will resume," although he did not give a precise timeframe.

Leader Trump also stated that Tehran wants to reach a deal.

"We currently have good relations with Iran, as hard as it is to believe. And I think it's a combination of four weeks of bombing and a strong blockade," he said, referring to the US blockade that has been in place since April 13 and aims to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

The first round of US-Iran peace talks was held in Islamabad on April 11-12 and ended without an agreement. The talks were preceded by a two-week ceasefire, which was reached on April 7 with the mediation of Pakistan.

The White House said on April 15 that a possible second round would likely be held again in Pakistan. The same day, a Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief Asim Munir was in Tehran to deliver messages from Washington to the Islamic Republic.

Trump also repeated the announcement he had made a few hours earlier via social media about the achievement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which also includes Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group.

Trump also repeated an announcement he had made hours earlier on social media, saying that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting on April 16 at 17:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and that the ceasefire also includes Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing./REL

The GeoPost