War on Iran 'can be over very soon' Trump says, as backchannel diplomacy resumes

War on Iran 'can be over very soon' Trump says, as backchannel diplomacy resumes Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 04/15/2026 - 17:01 The US president says neither the Saudi Arabians nor the Chinese pushed back against his Strait of Hormuz blockade US President Donald Trump speaks to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo during an interview at the White House in Washington, DC, on 14 April 2026 (Screengrab) Off US President Donald Trump now says his joint war with Israel on Iran may be ending soon, as the US weighs extending the ceasefire window beyond two weeks to make room for further negotiations. Pakistan's army chief of staff and its interior minister arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, following the collapse on Saturday morning of direct US-Iran talks that they had mediated in Islamabad. "I think it can be over very soon," Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in an interview taped at the White House on Tuesday, as she asked him about the American public's concerns about petrol prices.