President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations with Iran, stating that talks “seem to be working out quite well” during a televised interview. Speaking to journalist Tom Durian on FOX5 Las Vegas, Trump reiterated his positive assessment of diplomatic efforts without providing specific details on the substance of discussions.
“I hear they are doing very well,” Trump said in the interview published Wednesday evening. “I am not looking to kill people and totally obliterate everything, and that’s where we were headed. And they wanted to negotiate and we’re doing that, and it seems to be working out quite well.”
The remarks come as the conflict enters its sixth month without a permanent resolution. Despite the lack of a breakthrough, Trump has consistently portrayed the negotiations in favorable terms. He indicated that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a critical energy transit route blocked since hostilities began — is imminent, according to a Reuters report.
The war erupted after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting American bases. Subsequent military operations have killed thousands and displaced millions inside Iran, according to United Nations estimates cited by Reuters.
Human rights experts have condemned threats to target civilian infrastructure, warning such actions would violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions governing humanitarian conduct in war. International legal scholars in the United States have previously assessed that strikes on essential civilian sites could constitute war crimes.
Iran has warned it would target regional critical infrastructure if the U.S. follows through on threats against civilian installations. The escalating rhetoric underscores the fragile nature of diplomatic channels even as both sides engage in talks.
The situation remains fluid, with the next phase of negotiations expected to address both the Strait of Hormuz blockade and broader security arrangements.