WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said that the war with Iran is “close to over”, expressing confidence that ongoing diplomatic efforts could soon yield results.
“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, excerpts of which were shared on social media platform X.
He added that Iran was eager to reach an agreement. “I think they want to make a deal very badly,” Trump said, while also warning that the situation remains fluid.
“You know what, if I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country, and we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly,” he added.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke about ending the Iran War in a currently unreleased interview filmed Tuesday with Fox News.
Trump: “I had to divert because if I didn’t do that, right now, you would have Iran with a nuclear weapon. And if they had a nuclear weapon, you would… pic.twitter.com/HkN2Slsxlz
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 15, 2026
Earlier, Bartiromo said Trump had referred to the war in the past tense during the interview, prompting her to ask directly whether it had ended. “He said: ‘It’s over,’” she noted.
The remarks come as diplomatic efforts intensify following talks held in Islamabad over the weekend aimed at ending the conflict, which began on February 28. While no final agreement was reached, both sides are working towards another round of negotiations.
Trump said discussions could resume in Pakistan within days, signalling continued engagement between Washington and Tehran.
A two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8 remains in place, providing space for diplomacy to move forward.
“Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post. “It’s more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job,” he said.
Trump said Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was doing a “great job” on the talks.
“He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said.
“I just think he’s a great guy. The Field Marshal. You know he ended the war with India, saved 30 million people,” he added.
“Look, things are happening, but, you know, a little bit slow,” Trump told the New York Post in a phone interview.
Trump did not say who would represent the US in a potential second round of talks in Islamabad, but confirmed he would not take part, according to the New York Post.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials said Pakistan was their priority venue for the next round of talks with the United States.
Trump initially told the newspaper the talks would likely be held somewhere in Europe, before updating that they could again be held in Pakistan’s capital.
Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance said deep mistrust between the United States and Iran persists, but stressed that negotiations are progressing.
“There is a lot of mistrust between Iran and the United States of America. You are not going to solve that problem overnight,” Vance said at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia.
Despite this, he expressed optimism, noting that Iranian negotiators appeared willing to reach a deal. “We are negotiating with Iran,” he said, adding that he felt “very good about where we are.”
Pakistan, which facilitated the initial round of high-level talks, has stepped up diplomatic efforts to sustain momentum and prevent further escalation.
The Islamabad talks were led by Vance for the United States and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, marking a rare high-level engagement between the two sides.
