Trump said the US and Iran are “very close” to a deal, claiming Tehran may transfer enriched uranium, a key issue in nuclear negotiations.
Washington warned it could resume airstrikes and maintain a naval blockade if Iran rejects proposed terms to end the conflict that began on February 28.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire following talks in Washington, though Israel said it will maintain a security presence in parts of southern Lebanon.
Trump Says Iran War May End ‘Soon,’ Claims Progress on Uranium Deal
Washington signals progress in Iran nuclear negotiations while keeping military options on the table, as Israel and Lebanon agree to a temporary ceasefire
Summary
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the war in Iran is progressing “swimmingly” and could conclude soon, even as Washington signalled both progress toward a possible agreement and readiness to escalate militarily if negotiations fail. He said Washington and Tehran were “very close” to a peace deal and claimed Tehran had agreed to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium — a key sticking point in the talks.
“There’s a very good chance we’re going to make a deal,” Trump said, adding that Iran had agreed to hand over what he described as “nuclear dust,” his term for enriched uranium that Washington says could potentially be used in nuclear weapons. However, Trump did not provide details on the proposed transfer, and Iran has not publicly indicated any willingness to surrender its uranium reserves.
At the same time, US has warned it could resume airstrikes and maintain a naval blockade of Iranian ports if Tehran rejects the proposed terms to end the conflict, which began on February 28.
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Israel-Lebanon Announces Truce
Separately, Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting later on Thursday. The announcement was made on social media platform Truth Social, where Trump said the temporary truce followed what he described as “excellent” discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct peace talks in over three decades earlier in Washington, after intense military attack between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Beirut.
Trump said he had directed US Vice President JD Vance and other officials to work with both sides toward achieving a “lasting peace.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has agreed to the temporary ceasefire as part of efforts to advance diplomatic negotiations.
However, he clarified that Israel has not accepted Hezbollah’s demand to withdraw from southern Lebanon to the internationally recognised border. Israel intends to maintain a broad security presence in parts of Lebanon extending toward the Syrian border.
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Hezbollah, which has been engaged in hostilities with Israel for the past six weeks, has expressed opposition to the dialogue process.
“We have an opportunity to reach a historic peace agreement with Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.