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Trump says Israel, Lebanon agree to ceasefire, US-Iran talks possible

16.04.2026 23:45
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire and that a meeting between the United States and Iran could take place over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump.Photo: EPA/SALWAN GEORGES

The announcement added to optimism that the Iran war could be nearing an end, the Reuters news agency reported.

Trump said Iran wanted to make a deal and had offered to forgo nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

"We’re going to see what happens, but I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran," he told reporters outside the White House.

"I think we have a chance. And if that happens, oil goes way down, prices go way down, inflation goes way down—and ... much more importantly ... you won’t have a nuclear holocaust," he added.

Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were a sticking point at talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad last weekend, according to earlier reports.

"We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. And I think it’s a combination of about four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade," Trump said.

At last weekend's talks in Islamabad, the United States proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran, while Tehran suggested a halt of three to five years, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the proposals.

(gs)

Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP