According to Axios, U.S. President Donald Trump expects the war with Iran to end this weekend.
In an interview with Axios on Friday, April 17 he revealed that negotiators from Washington and Tehran are expected to hold key talks on Saturday or Sunday, during which a deal could be reached.
“Iran wants to meet and wants to reach a deal. I think there will be results by the weekend,” Trump said.
Recent developments suggest signs of de-escalation. Earlier on Friday, both Trump and Iran’s foreign minister stated that the key energy corridor—the Strait of Hormuz—had been “fully reopened,” creating conditions for ceasefire negotiations. However, U.S. maritime restrictions in the area have not been fully lifted.
Trump later clarified on social media that commercial traffic through the strait has resumed, but the U.S. continues to maintain a naval blockade targeting Iran “until the agreement is 100 percent finalized.” He also stressed that most key issues in the negotiations have already been largely settled and that progress could move very quickly.
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On core issues, Trump said Iran has agreed to all demands, including cooperation with the United States to remove enriched uranium from its territory. He said the process would not involve U.S. ground forces, but would be carried out through cooperation between U.S. personnel and Iran, with the nuclear material eventually transported to the United States for processing.
Trump also told CBS News that Tehran has agreed to stop supporting armed groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, although this claim has not yet been confirmed by Iranian officials.
Responding to media reports that the U.S. might unfreeze around $20 billion in Iranian assets in exchange for a deal, Trump denied it, saying: “No, we won’t pay even 10 cents.”
He emphasized that the United States will continue its blockade until a formal agreement is finalized.
