More than two months after announcing a ceasefire with Iran and suggesting that the two sides were close to reaching an agreement, US President Donald Trump has once again said a deal is imminent. Speaking to reporters late on Monday, Trump said the United States was "in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal" and predicted that Israel and Iran would leave each other alone for at least a week.
Repeated Predictions
The remarks are the latest in a long series of similar assertions by the US president. Since the period leading up to the ceasefire, Trump has made such statements at least 37 times through social media posts, public appearances and conversations with the media, as cited by CNN. Trump's assertions that a deal between Israel and Iran was close began early in the conflict and continued for months, often with increasing confidence.
On March 23, less than a month into the war, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that peace talks were progressing and pointed to what he described as "major points of agreement, I would say — almost all points of agreement." A day later, he introduced a theme that would recur repeatedly in his public remarks, suggesting that Iran was eager to reach an agreement. "I think we're going to end it," Trump said, before adding: "I can't tell you for sure."
By March 25, he said Iran wanted to "make a deal so badly." The following day, during a Cabinet meeting, he claimed Tehran was "begging to make a deal." On March 29, when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One whether he expected an agreement within the following week, Trump replied: "I do see a deal in Iran, yeah."
Growing Emphatic Statements
His predictions grew increasingly emphatic in the weeks that followed. On April 6, Trump said the two sides had been "very close to a deal" before encountering a setback. The next day, he announced a ceasefire that was initially expected to last two weeks while negotiations continued. Speaking to Fox News on April 15, Trump said, "I think it's close to over, I view it as very close to over." "We'll see what happens," he added. "I think they want to make a deal very badly."
Over the following weeks, Trump repeatedly suggested the conflict was nearing an end. "When the war ends, which shouldn't be too long …" he told reporters on May 1. After a brief pause in such predictions, Trump said on May 18 that he was postponing military strikes for "two or three days" at the request of Middle Eastern countries "because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal." On May 28, in an interview with Lara Trump, he described the parties as being "close to a very good deal."
Most recently, on Sunday, Trump said they were "very close to having a deal," while suggesting that continued clashes between Israel and Iran risked undermining the negotiations.
Ongoing Tensions
The situation in the Middle East remains tense as the region faces a rapidly evolving security landscape. Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks on Israel in response to an earlier Israeli military operation in Lebanon. Despite public calls from Trump urging Israel to refrain from further military action, Israeli forces carried out strikes on Iranian infrastructure, placing additional strain on an already fragile ceasefire between the two rivals.
Both Israel and Iran paused direct hostilities on Monday shortly after Trump called for an end to the fighting. However, officials on both sides indicated that military operations could resume if conditions deteriorate. The latest flare-up has also raised questions about Washington's ability to influence Israeli decision-making at a critical stage in the diplomatic effort.
