Reuters/CCTV. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States is closing in on a deal with Iran, expressing optimism about reaching it to end the war next week.
"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," Trump told U.S. media outlet PBS News in a phone interview.
The possible deal could include Iran exporting its highly enriched uranium to the United States, according to a PBS News report.
Trump also noted that Iran would pledge not to operate its underground facilities as part of the deal, adding that Iran "would be operating in for goodwill for a long period of time".
Later on Wednesday, Trump said the United States has had very good talks over the past 24 hours with Iran on ending the war.
Iran wants to "make a deal badly", Trump said, repeating his claim at an event in the White House.
"They want to make a deal," he told reporters. "We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal."
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday Iran is still reviewing a U.S. proposal and will convey its response to Pakistan after completing its assessment, according to Iran's ISNA news agency.
Baghaei said Iran is summarizing its views on the proposal before sharing them with the Pakistani side, which has been acting as a mediator in the talks, ISNA reported.
The spokesperson also noted that U.S. media reports claiming that the two countries were close to reaching a one-page agreement to end hostilities were inaccurate, and that Iran has not yet responded to the U.S. views on its proposal.
The United States and Israel conducted joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb 28, killing senior Iranian officials and civilians, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. interests in the region and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8. Talks between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Islamabad on April 11-12 ended without an agreement. After negotiations collapsed, the United States imposed a blockade of the strait.
