A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect on Thursday and President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran may take place over the weekend, adding to optimism that the Iran war could be nearing an end.Trump said Iran had offered not to possess nuclear weapons for more than 20 years. Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were a sticking point at talks in Islamabad last weekend.“We’re going to see what happens. But I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” he told reporters outside the White House.Israel, Lebanon begin ceasefireApril 17, 2026 7:41 amHours later at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump went further, saying the war “should be ending pretty soon.” The war with Iran, which began on February 28 with a U.S.-Israeli attack, has killed thousands and sent oil prices surging, creating a major political headache for the US president. If the Lebanon ceasefire clears the way for a broader peace deal with Iran, it would be a significant win for the Trump administration, which has struggled so far to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.