US President Donald Trump looks on after disembarking from Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US on April 12, 2026.
Kevin Lamarck | reuters
US President Donald Trump claimed in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that the Iran war is “very close to being over” and that officials in Tehran are eager to agree a peace deal.
“We have completely defeated them militarily,” Trump said. told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” in a pre-recorded interview. “I think it’s close to being over, I think it’s very close to being over. …If I were to bet right now it’s going to 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.
The president’s latest comments come amid growing market optimism that a diplomatic solution to the US-Iran war can be found, despite the failure of peace talks last weekend.
Trump downplayed the global market turmoil caused by the war and said oil prices, which have soared due to supply disruptions, would soon fall.
He once again defended the US military campaign against Iran, saying, “We have to prevent them from ever having a nuclear weapon.”
Trump predicted that when the war ended, “the stock market will boom, it’s already booming.”
A White House official told CNBC on Tuesday that discussions are underway for a second round of talks between Washington and Tehran. However, nothing had been officially determined as of Tuesday, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s internal plans.
trump later told The New York Post says fresh US-Iran talks in Islamabad “could take place in the next two days.”
He initially told the outlet in a phone interview that additional negotiations could be “a little slow” and would likely take place in Europe, but called back about 30 minutes later with updated information, the Post reports.
Confirmation that the Trump administration is considering further talks with Tehran comes after earlier reports that stalled peace talks could resume before a fragile two-week ceasefire expires next week.
Meanwhile, Washington has stepped up its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route largely controlled by Iran.
US Central Command said late Tuesday night The blockade, which is not allowing ships to enter or exit Iranian ports, has been fully enforced, “completely” cutting off Tehran’s international maritime trade.
Correction April 15, 2026: This article was updated to reflect the fact that the interview was pre-recorded