Trump says Iran war 'close to over' as talks poised to resume

US President Donald Trump said the conflict between the United States and Iran is approaching its conclusion, even as military pressure continues and diplomatic efforts are poised to restart.

"I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over," Trump said in an interview with Fox News, scheduled to air Wednesday.

His remarks come as U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to return to negotiations within days, following inconclusive talks held over the weekend in Islamabad.

Despite signs of de-escalation, Washington has taken fresh military steps. On Monday, Trump ordered a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports, a move seen as increasing pressure days after the United States halted its bombing campaign.

While projecting optimism about an imminent end to the war, Trump underscored that U.S. operations remain ongoing. "If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished," he said. "We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly."

Diplomatic engagement has been led by JD Vance and senior White House officials, who met Iranian counterparts in Pakistan to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program and uranium enrichment activities.

Although the talks yielded no immediate breakthrough, Vance indicated progress had been made and suggested the next phase depends on Tehran. "The ball is very much in their court," he said in an interview with “Special Report.” "You ask what happens next, I think the Iranians are going to determine what happens next."

The conflict began on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran, reportedly killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dealing a significant blow to the country’s leadership structure.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly highlighted what he describes as the weakening of Iran’s military and political apparatus, saying U.S. forces have “decimated” Tehran’s capabilities.

The war has resulted in significant casualties, including 13 U.S. service members and thousands of deaths across the Middle East.

Trump defended the U.S. intervention, arguing it was necessary to neutralize Iran’s nuclear ambitions. "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."