The China Mail - Trump tells AFP Iran deal close, 'no sticking points' left

Trump's comments came after a slew of social media posts in which he touted Iran's promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and progress on ending Iran's nuclear program.

"We're very close. Looks like it's going to be very good for everybody. And we're very close to having a deal," Trump said in a brief telephone interview with AFP from Las Vegas.

"The strait's going to be open, they already are open. And things are going very well."

Iran had earlier said it was opening the Hormuz strait -- a crucial sea lane whose closure caused global oil prices to spike -- for the duration of a Middle East ceasefire.

On his Truth Social site, Trump said "THANK YOU!" to Iran -- while insisting that an American blockade of Iranian ports would remain in "full force" until completion of a peace deal.

"Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World," Trump said in one of around a dozen Friday morning posts.

Touting further progress towards a deal, Trump also said Iran was removing sea mines from the strait, with US help.

A first round of US-Iran talks in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance last weekend ended without a peace deal, but Trump has said a second round could happen soon.

Trump says the core US demand is that Iran should never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, and he said on Thursday that Iran had agreed to turn over its stock of enriched uranium.

Asked what the remaining sticking points for a deal were, Trump told AFP: "No sticking points at all."

When asked why he was unable to declare a deal at this point after his string of optimistic posts, Trump added: "I don't do that, I get it in writing."

- Nuclear 'dust' -

In his social media posts, Trump again talked up the likelihood of a nuclear deal while insisting that no money would change hands after an Axios report that Washington was considering a $20 billion cash-for-uranium exchange.

"The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form," Trump said in another post.

Trump's upbeat comments to AFP came after he struck a celebratory tone on social media, hailing a "GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!"

Trump also gave shout-outs to mediator Pakistan and Gulf allies whose countries have come under attack from Iran since the US-Israel military operation started on February 28.

But Trump delivered a fresh slap-down to NATO over the Western military alliance's refusal to join the Iran war or to contribute to a mission in the Strait of Hormuz until hostilities are over.

"I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL," Trump said on Truth Social.

Trump meanwhile also talked up a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, saying Israel was now "prohibited" by Washington from bombing its neighbor.

The Lebanon conflict, triggered when Iran-backed Hezbollah struck Israel in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, was widely regarded as a roadblock for any Iran deal.

"Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" said Trump, who had first announced the truce on Thursday.

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