WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran could reach an agreement within days to extend a ceasefire and reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, offering an optimistic assessment of negotiations despite tensions and uncertainty surrounding the talks.
In a telephone interview with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump said discussions were progressing and suggested an agreement could be reached within the following week. He acknowledged that negotiators had encountered a setback but said he believed the situation could be brought back under control.
“There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly,” Trump said.
Trump said tensions had intensified after Israeli military operations involving Lebanon and claimed he intervened with the parties to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The president argued that diplomacy could ultimately produce a more significant result than continued military confrontation.
“A peace agreement with Iran could be even better than a military victory,” Trump said.
Trump acknowledged that reaching a broader settlement would be difficult after decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran. Still, he said negotiators were making progress on issues important to the United States.
“I still have to get a few more points,” he said.
At the center of the negotiations was the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passage crucial to global energy shipments. Any prolonged disruption could affect oil supplies, shipping costs and energy markets around the world.
Trump also said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding tensions involving Hezbollah and claimed that Israel had agreed not to advance into Beirut. He further claimed that Hezbollah had agreed through intermediaries to halt attacks on Israel in exchange for an end to Israeli strikes.
The comments came as officials attempted to transform a fragile ceasefire into a broader agreement. ABC News later reported that the U.S. and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding in June that was intended to pause fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, although the arrangement subsequently deteriorated.
For Trump, the proposed agreement represented a potential diplomatic path out of a dangerous confrontation. But the president’s timeline remained an expectation rather than a guaranteed outcome, with major disagreements and deep mistrust still threatening the negotiations.
The future of the ceasefire — and the reopening of one of the world’s most important energy corridors — ultimately depended on whether Washington and Tehran could turn their diplomatic efforts into a lasting agreement.
