US President Says Iran Deal 'Very Possible' This Month

Lead

US President Donald Trump has indicated that a deal with Iran could be signed before the end of April, describing it as "very possible." In an interview with Sky News, Trump said, "It's possible. Very possible. They're beaten up pretty bad. It's very possible," when asked whether an agreement could be reached before the state visit of King Charles III of Britain to the United States scheduled for April 27.

This optimism was echoed by US Permanent Representative to the UN, Mike Waltz, who said he believes Washington and Tehran can ultimately conclude a peace agreement. "I do think we can come to some type of agreement or deal, as President calls them, because both sides have interest in getting there for very different reasons," Waltz said at an event at Georgetown University.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from TASS, the Russian state news agency, provide the basis for these developments. The coverage highlights Trump's statements, as relayed through intermediaries: ABC News host Jonathan Karl cited Trump as saying, "It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way. It's going to happen." This suggests a firm conviction on the US side that a resolution is inevitable.

Separately, TASS reported on April 21 that Iran's military will respond proportionately to any US ceasefire violations, according to Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Key Claims

Several claims emerge from the coverage, each with varying degrees of corroboration. The assertion that the US and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran on February 28 is consistently referenced across multiple reports. Similarly, the announcement of a two-week ceasefire on April 7 is widely cited, as are the talks held in Islamabad on April 11 between Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance.

However, while there is broad agreement that no long-term settlement was reached due to disagreements, the specific reasons for those disagreements are not detailed. The claim that Trump did not rule out an agreement before month's end appears in a single report but is presented as a direct quote from an interview, lending it credibility.

Iran's warning about ceasefire violations is also reported from a single source, quoting the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters. This statement underscores Tehran's position that any breach of the ceasefire would be met with a response.