Trump says the Iran war is ‘very close to over’—despite no deal, a live blockade, and threats mounting

President Donald Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo Wednesday that the U.S.-Iran war is “very close to being over”—even as negotiations haven’t restarted and the U.S. and Iranian naval forces stare hard at each other across a blocked Strait of Hormuz. 

“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump told Bartiromo in an interview on Mornings with Maria.

Trump has a reason to be upbeat; the stock market is near an all-time-high, ready to rally hard in celebration of a ceasefire. Yet there is a problem, namely, facts on the ground: The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports is in its third day, Iran’s military warned it would shut down all Persian Gulf shipping if the blockade continues, and Brent crude is still trading near $96 a barrel—about 33% above pre-war levels.

JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation in Islamabad over the weekend, offered a notably less conclusive read of the situation Monday. “The ball is very much in their court,” Vance said. “The Iranians........

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