WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hinted on Wednesday that the US war in Iran was hopefully nearing its conclusion, saying Tehran had reached out directly to Washington to make a deal.Asked how he would describe what phase of the war the US is in, Trump said: “Hopefully we are towards the end of the war.””They want to make a deal, and we’ll see how that works out,” he told reporters upon landing in North Carolina.Asked whether he had heard from Iran directly or through intermediaries, Trump said he had heard from them directly.The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a memorandum signed in June envisioning a deal to reopen the strategic waterway as a prelude to a wider peace agreement.Trump is expected to hold a meeting with Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran, US news portal Axios reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The sources said Trump will meet with leaders or foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.The meeting is expected to focus on US ideas for a postwar strategy as Trump and his senior team work on a day-after plan expected to be finalized after the midterms, Axios said.Gulf countries that host US military bases suffered major Iranian attacks during the war as well as significant economic losses from disruptions to oil and natural gas exports.”The US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran in February, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defenses, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. The conflict has since expanded across the region, with diplomatic efforts continuing to end the hostilities.WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hinted on Wednesday that the US war in Iran was hopefully nearing its conclusion, saying Tehran had reached out directly to Washington to make a deal.Asked how he would describe what phase of the war the US is in, Trump said: “Hopefully we are towards the end of the war.””They want to make a deal, and we’ll see how that works out,” he told reporters upon landing in North Carolina.Asked whether he had heard from Iran directly or through intermediaries, Trump said he had heard from them directly.The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a memorandum signed in June envisioning a deal to reopen the strategic waterway as a prelude to a wider peace agreement.Trump is expected to hold a meeting with Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the war with Iran, US news portal Axios reported, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The sources said Trump will meet with leaders or foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.The meeting is expected to focus on US ideas for a postwar strategy as Trump and his senior team work on a day-after plan expected to be finalized after the midterms, Axios said.Gulf countries that host US military bases suffered major Iranian attacks during the war as well as significant economic losses from disruptions to oil and natural gas exports.”The US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran in February, targeting government buildings, military sites, missile infrastructure and air defenses, prompting Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. The conflict has since expanded across the region, with diplomatic efforts continuing to end the hostilities.
