Iran war 'very close' to ending, but US operations not yet complete: Trump

West Asia crisis: Even as the US President signalled a potential end to the conflict, Trump made it clear that US operations were not yet complete

US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran is “very close” to ending. “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump said in remarks reported by FOX Business.

 

Even as he signalled a potential end to the conflict, Trump made it clear that US operations are not yet complete. “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” he said, adding, “We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

 

Speaking to FOX Business, Trump also justified US involvement in the West Asia conflict, saying it was necessary to neutralise Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “I had to divert because if I didn’t do that, right now, you’d have Iran with a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And if they had a nuclear weapon, you’d be calling everybody over there ‘sir,’ and you don’t want to do that.”

 

 

Trump’s remarks come as Washington and Tehran are reportedly working to arrange a second round of peace talks in the coming days. According to a Bloomberg report, the aim is to hold further discussions before the April 7 ceasefire expires next week. One proposal under consideration is to return to Islamabad, where the initial round of negotiations took place last weekend, although other venues are also being explored.

 

US blockade of Iranian ports

 

Meanwhile, the US is pressing ahead with a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to curb Iran’s oil exports, intensifying the battle for control of the key shipping route. On Monday, Trump ordered a blockade of all Iranian ports, marking a fresh escalation after the US agreed to halt bombing operations last week. The blockade is being enforced round-the-clock by an armada of more than 12 vessels.

 

Following the breakdown of talks, Trump reportedly weighed several options, including the possibility of resuming limited military strikes on Iran and urging US allies to take on a longer-term role in escorting ships through the strait.

 

Why did US-Iran peace talks fail?

 

Direct negotiations between the US and Iran ended in a stalemate after more than 21 hours of discussions in Islamabad on Sunday. The talks, mediated by Pakistan, failed to produce any conclusive outcome. Iran’s nuclear programme, particularly uranium enrichment, emerged as the central sticking point.

 

The negotiations, led by US Vice President JD Vance, broke down after Iran refused to abandon its nuclear programme. Tehran, in turn, described the US position as “excessive”, arguing that Washington’s demands went beyond what it had been able to achieve during the conflict.