Trump signals optimism on Iran deal as talks continue

Donald Trump says negotiations with Iran are moving in the right direction, pointing to “very good” recent talks and raising the prospect that the war could end soon — even as Tehran signals it is not ready to confirm any breakthrough.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said Iran wants to “make a deal badly” and reiterated the central US demand:

“if we get there, they can’t have nuclear weapons”.

“We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” he said.

The message was consistent across appearances. In an interview with PBS, Trump said he was hopeful an agreement could be reached before his planned trip to China next week, but paired that optimism with a warning. “I think it’s got a very good chance of ending, and if it doesn’t end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them,” he said. Later, in a call with supporters, he added: “It’ll be over quickly.”

The tone from Tehran has been more measured. Iranian officials have downplayed suggestions that a deal is imminent, saying they are still reviewing the proposal delivered through Pakistani mediators and have not yet issued a formal response.

The gap reflects the complexity of what’s being negotiated. The US-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28, has been driven by overlapping disputes — from Iran’s nuclear programme to its control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows before the conflict.

Behind the scenes, the outlines of a possible agreement are starting to emerge. Reports from Reuters and Axios suggest discussions have centred on a short memorandum — potentially a one-page or 14-point document — that would formalise an end to the conflict. Under those terms, Iran would commit not to develop a nuclear weapon and suspend uranium enrichment for at least 12 years, while the US would lift sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets. Both sides would also reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days.

It remains unclear how closely those reported terms align with Iran’s own proposals, and officials in Tehran have pushed back on the idea that anything is settled. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said “the investigation into the exchanged texts is ongoing”.