Trump says the Iran war ‘is very close to over’

US President Donald Trump says marathon negotiations with Iran had gone 'well' despite the peace talks ending in failure, and he is ordering a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.(Photo: AFP)

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2026 (AP) — In clips showing excerpts of an interview he taped with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” U.S. President Donald Trump says of the Iran war, “I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over.”

He adds, “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”

Trump has declared a U.S. victory in Iran repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated.

The full interview is set to air starting Wednesday morning.