President Donald Trump continued to signal optimism in ongoing peace negotiations, reiterating on Truth Social early Monday that “Iran really wants to make a deal."
Trump hit back at “political hacks” for negatively analyzing the talks, adding it makes it tougher to properly do his job and negotiate.
Once a deal is made, Trump added, it will be a “good one” for both the United States and allies.
Key U.S. demands include the complete removal of highly enriched uranium, the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and suspension of Iran’s nuclear program.
In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump dismissed some media reports about peace talks, saying the agreement clearly states that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
His latest comments come after he met with his national security team on Friday to make what he described as a "final determination" on a deal to end the war.
The ceasefire between Iran and the United States has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Air strikes between the United States and Iran resumed over the weekend.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused the United States of “constantly” changing its positions.
“From the beginning, we knew — and we continue to know — that we are negotiating in an atmosphere of mistrust,” Baghaei told reporters.
The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. The conflict has caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.