Trump says a deal with Iran may already be close as oil falls

U.S. President Donald Trump has said an agreement with Iran may be close. He wrote on his social network Truth Social: “Oil prices are falling sharply because people believe there will be no war with Iran. Iran wants to make a deal, and as quickly as possible. Maybe it will work!” On Sunday, however, he said he was ready to deliver a “hard blow” to Iran.

Vice President JD Vance said he and Trump are “rather optimistic,” but, according to AFP, he gave no specific timeline.

Netanyahu wants to attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to secure a new wave of strikes on Iran right after Tuesday’s U.S. congressional elections, according to two regional officials cited by AP. A return to full-scale war could help him form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week’s election. Trump alternates between threatening large-scale strikes and pursuing a deal with Iran.

Talks in Qatar

Qatari mediators held two rounds of talks with Iranian representatives last week. Regional officials say the diplomatic effort has made progress. The mediators are trying to agree on a framework deal under which Iran would stop attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the lifting of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The next round is planned for this week, officials told AP.

Iran has repeatedly warned that it will respond to any new strikes by hitting American and Israeli targets in neighboring countries. The war, which has now lasted eight months, continues to disrupt global oil supplies and is spreading to other parts of the Arab region.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz