President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran appears to be nearing acceptance of key U.S. demands, pointing to what he described as significant progress in ongoing discussions.

He praised the current blockade on Iran, calling it “amazing,” and said it “is holding up very strong, and I think we’re making a lot of progress.”

Trump indicated he does not see a need to prolong the ceasefire, adding: “Iran wants to make a deal and we’re dealing very nicely with them. They’re willing to do things today that they weren’t willing to do two months ago.”

He added that another round of talks between the sides is likely to take place over the weekend.

Addressing reports that any agreement might limit Iran’s uranium enrichment for a defined period, Trump said no such arrangement has been finalized. “What we have is a statement that goes beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons. There’s no 20-year limit.”

At the same time, he cautioned that if negotiations collapse, hostilities could restart.

Trump also asserted that Iran has agreed to transfer its enriched uranium, saying: “They agreed to hand over the nuclear dust. It’s way underground because of the attack with the B-2 bombers. We have a lot of agreement with Iran, and I think that something very positive is going to happen.”

Turning to the ceasefire he recently announced between Israel and Lebanon, Trump said he expects Hezbollah to comply. “It’s quite exciting, we’re going to meet with Bibi Netanyahu and the President of Lebanon. I had a great talk with both of them today. They’re going to have a ceasefire, and that will include Hezbollah.”

Responding to criticism from Pope Leo XIV regarding the conflict with Iran, Trump said: “It’s important that the Pope understands that Iran killed 42,000 people who were totally unarmed. They were protesters. Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. If they did, every country, including Italy, where he’s stationed, would be in trouble. So we’re doing very well in respect to that.”

{Matzav.com}