U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the war with Iran is “very close to being over,” arguing recent U.S. actions prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon while signaling negotiations could resume imminently as the regime “want[s] to make a deal very badly.”
In excerpts from a pre-recorded interview set to air Wednesday morning on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo, Trump defended the military campaign and suggested Iran would struggle to recover from the damage inflicted.
“I had to divert because if I didn’t do that, right now you would have Iran with a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “And if they had a nuclear weapon, you would be calling everybody over there — and you don’t want to do that.”
Asked whether the war was over, Trump responded, “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over.”
He added, “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.”
The White House account also amplified clips from the interview on X Tuesday evening ahead of its broadcast.
Trump’s remarks come as officials across multiple reports on Tuesday signaled preparations for renewed talks between Washington and Tehran, following the collapse of roughly 21 hours of Pakistan-mediated negotiations in Islamabad — held over the weekend from Saturday into early Sunday.
Speaking earlier Tuesday, Trump told the New York Post that discussions “could be happening over the next two days,” adding the United States was “more inclined” to return to Islamabad for another round of negotiations, crediting Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir with helping facilitate the talks.
Separate reports indicated mediators are actively working to bring both sides back to the table, with potential meetings as early as the end of the week. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday it is “highly probable” talks will restart, reinforcing expectations that negotiations will continue despite last weekend’s breakdown.
Those talks — involving senior U.S. officials and Iranian representatives through intermediaries — collapsed after Tehran refused to meet Washington’s core demand that it abandon its nuclear ambitions and relinquish its enriched material, a position Trump has repeatedly described as non-negotiable.
The collapse triggered a significant escalation, with the United States moving forward Monday with a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports — a step Trump framed as necessary to counter what he described as Tehran’s attempt to “blackmail” global energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Early indicators suggest the blockade is already exerting pressure. U.S. Central Command said vessels attempting to access Iranian ports have been turned back, while shipping patterns have begun to shift, reinforcing the administration’s view that economic and military leverage are driving Tehran toward renewed talks.
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described the strategy as decisive, arguing Tuesday night on Fox News that Trump has “put Iran in a box” and positioned the United States in a “win-win posture.”
“President Trump has put Iran in a box. He’s played the checkmate move,” Miller said, adding that whether Iran chooses to negotiate or face continued economic isolation, “America wins.”
At the same time, Trump has shown little willingness to soften U.S. terms, rejecting reports that negotiators explored a long-term freeze on Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
“I’ve been saying they can’t have nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “So I don’t like the 20 years,” making clear he opposes any framework that could allow Tehran to claim a partial victory.
Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation in the Islamabad talks, has framed the administration’s approach as an effort to secure what he described as a sweeping “grand bargain,” rather than a limited agreement.
Addressing a Turning Point USA event Tuesday, Vance said Trump “doesn’t want to make… a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain,” outlining a proposal under which Iran would permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions and end support for terrorism in exchange for full economic normalization.
“That’s the trade that he’s offering,” Vance said, explaining that under such a deal the United States would help Iran “thrive” economically and integrate into the global economy “in a way they haven’t been in my entire life.”
Vance acknowledged longstanding distrust between the two countries — noting the unprecedented nature of the engagement after decades without such direct talks — but said Iranian negotiators appeared interested in reaching an agreement.
“There’s a lot of mistrust… you’re not going to solve that overnight,” he said, adding, “I think the people we’re sitting across from wanted to make a deal.”
In a separate Fox News interview Monday, Vance said “a lot of progress” had been made but emphasized that “the ball really is in [the Iranians’] court,” stressing that any agreement would require Tehran to relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile and accept strict verification measures to ensure it cannot pursue a nuclear weapon.
He added that the talks ultimately stalled because Iran’s delegation lacked the authority to finalize an agreement and needed to return to Tehran for approval — a dynamic that continues to complicate prospects for a deal even as diplomatic channels remain active.
Trump made that position clear Monday at the White House, saying the United States has been contacted by the “right people” in Iran who “would like to make a deal — very badly,” while reiterating that if Tehran does not agree to abandon its nuclear ambitions, “there’s no deal.”
With a fragile ceasefire still in place and negotiations potentially set to resume within days, the administration is pressing its advantage — pairing sustained economic and military pressure with a sweeping diplomatic offer — as it seeks to force a final decision from Tehran on whether to accept Washington’s terms or face further escalation.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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