President Donald Trump stated Friday that American and Iranian negotiators are expected to meet this weekend for a deal that could end the war.
A number of U.S. officials indicated significant progress has been made in the negotiations, though gaps remain on critical issues.
“The Iranians want to meet. They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend. I think we will get a deal in the next day or two,” Trump said.
Under the proposed agreement, the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Iran relinquishing its stockpile of enriched uranium and agreeing to a moratorium on uranium enrichment.
Trump also reiterated that he would not lift the naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz until an agreement is reached. Iran has agreed to reopen the strait for the duration of the ceasefire, which is set to end Tuesday.
The president stated that any deal with Iran would “make Israel safe” and added: “Israel is going to come out great.”
Trump urged an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, saying: “Israel has to stop. They can’t continue to blow buildings up. I am not gonna allow it.” Although Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire Thursday, an Israeli drone struck southern Lebanon on Friday.
Trump claimed Iran has “agreed to everything,” including the removal of its enriched uranium. He said Iran would work with the U.S. to retrieve and transfer the uranium as part of a broader agreement, with U.S. personnel and Iranian officials jointly collecting and transporting it out of the country once a deal is finalized.
Trump further stated that Iran has agreed to halt its support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
By Sam Barron
Friday, 17 April 2026 04:22 PM EDT
