United States President Donald Trump has expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, saying that a deal between Israel and Iran is imminent, and that the two will leave each other alone for at least a week.

He told reporters that the US was “in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal.” He stated that there is “a good chance” of signing a deal in “two or three days” but he didn’t provide any details on why there was reason for new optimism.

Trump added that the Strait of Hormuz would open “immediately upon signing,” which he said could be in two or three days.

“We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal. If we go and bomb — which we could do very easily if we want, and we spend another two or three weeks bombing — they’ll have nothing left whatsoever. But you won’t have the strait open for months. If we do the bombing, you know, a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don’t.”
Donald Trump

He also claimed that the US naval blockade on Iran “turned out to be much stronger than bombing” in making Iran want a deal.

Separately, Trump asserted victory during a telerally for Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Republican ally,

“We’ve been a very tough team, and I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory. It’ll be a total victory. It’ll happen very soon, and oil prices will come tumbling down.”
Donald Trump

Israel and Iran said on Monday they would pause attacks following their most serious escalation since a ceasefire took effect in April. Iran announced an end to its attacks on Israel but warned of a “crushing” response if Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned that should Iran “make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force.”

The flare-up began on Sunday, triggered by Israel’s deadly bombardment of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. Iran, which has long said any peace deal with the US depends in part on an end to the fighting in Lebanon, responded with a wave of missiles at northern Israel.

Nonetheless, diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that Tehran was still “at the negotiating table,” while Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that Washington and Tehran, through Pakistan as an intermediary, are “presenting and exchanging views” towards an agreement.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that efforts for a peaceful diplomatic solution was ongoing “earnestly and painstakingly” and called for restraint, “especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved.”

He also said that Israel and Iran’s exchange of fire was a “reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to.”

Trump Confirms U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crash Near Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, Trump has confirmed media reports regarding an incident involving a US Apache attack helicopter that reportedly went down near the Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump saying the two crew members on board were “fine” after the incident involving the strategic waterway, which remains under a chokehold by Iran.

What caused the crash remained unclear in the Middle East, which was still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day in the biggest blow yet to the straining ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state media, relying on foreign reporting, acknowledged the crash without elaborating.

Trump, speaking to journalists at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, acknowledged the crash.

“The pilots are fine. Yeah. Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.”
Donald Trump

The U.S news agency first reported that a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter went down near the strait in unclear circumstances.

Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal. The helicopters also have been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones during the Iran war.