• What Happened: President Trump told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo the war with Iran is "very close to over," saying Iran wants to make a deal "very badly."
  • Why It Matters: The two-week ceasefire expires April 22. Mediators are pushing for a two-week extension while working on three sticking points: Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and war compensation.
  • Bottom Line: Trump blocked Iran's ports. He offered Iran a path to prosperity. He told the world the war is almost over. Now the clock is running on the ceasefire and Tehran has to decide.

President Trump sat down with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday and gave his most direct assessment yet of where the Iran conflict stands.

"I think it's close to over, yeah," Trump said. "I view it as very close to over."

The interview aired Wednesday morning on Mornings with Maria. In it, Trump defended the military campaign as the only way to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, framing the conflict as a preventive action the world will thank him for.

"I had to divert because if I didn't do that, right now you would have Iran with a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "And if they had a nuclear weapon, you would be calling everybody over there 'sir,' and you don't want to do that."

Trump made clear the leverage is entirely on the American side. "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." He also reminded Tehran of what further escalation would look like. "We could take out every one of their bridges in one hour. We could take out every one of their power plants in one hour," he said. "We don't want to do that."

The optimism comes as the United States presses its advantage on multiple fronts simultaneously. On Monday, Trump announced a sweeping naval blockade of Iranian ports, telling Fox News the policy would be strictly "all or nothing" with no exceptions for allies. No country gets access to the Strait of Hormuz until Iran fully opens it and clears any mines it has laid. On day one of the blockade, U.S. Central Command confirmed six merchant vessels were turned back without making it through. None penetrated the blockade. Trump framed Iran's mine threats in the strait as "world extortion" and vowed that any Iranian who fires at U.S. forces or peaceful vessels will be "blown to hell."

Trump told the New York Post on Tuesday that discussions "could be happening over the next two days" and that the U.S. was "more inclined" to return to Islamabad. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said it was "highly probable" talks would restart. Pakistan's finance minister told the AP that "our leadership is not giving up." Regional officials say mediators are working on a compromise around three core sticking points: Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and compensation for wartime damages. The current ceasefire expires April 22, and there is a push to extend it by two more weeks.

The administration's diplomatic offer is sweeping. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event Tuesday, VP Vance said Trump is not looking for a small deal. He wants a "grand bargain." Under that framework, Iran would permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions and end support for terrorism in exchange for full economic normalization and integration into the global economy in a way, Vance said, Iran "hasn't been in my entire life." Trump has described this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Iranian people. The catch is non-negotiable: no nuclear weapons, and all enriched uranium must be relinquished.

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told Fox News Tuesday that Trump has "put Iran in a box" with a "checkmate move" that creates a win-win posture for the United States regardless of how Tehran responds. "Whether Iran chooses to negotiate or face continued economic isolation, America wins," Miller said.

Trump also revealed in the Bartiromo interview that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally wrote him a letter denying reports that Beijing was supplying weapons to Iran. "I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that," Trump said, "and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he's not doing that."

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found only 24% of Americans think the Iran war has been worth it, with 51% saying it has not. Trump has not addressed those numbers publicly. He has addressed Iran's negotiators directly.

"They want to make a deal very badly," he said. The blockade is on. The ceasefire expires in one week. The grand bargain is on the table. Tehran has to choose.