US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that both Israel and Iran had agreed to halt hostilities following recent exchanges, expressing confidence that a broader agreement with Tehran was close to being finalized. Speaking about his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Israel's response to Iranian actions was understandable but indicated that both sides had now agreed to step back from further escalation and won't trouble each other for another week. "He was hit, and he hit back. I can't blame him for that. Now they've called it quits. They're going to leave each other alone for another week or something," Trump said. The US President claimed that Israel and Iran had agreed to cease hostilities through his mediation efforts and reaffirmed that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain firmly in place until a final agreement is reached with Tehran. Trump expressed confidence in the ongoing negotiations with Iran. He said discussions were progressing positively and suggested that a clear resolution could emerge in the near future. "We're in the final throes of a very good deal that will not allow, in any way or form, nuclear weapons. And the Strait will open up right away. It'll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days," he added. Vowing to maintain maximum economic pressure on the regime through this strategy, Trump asserted that "no oil, no income, no nothing" would be permitted to transit through the critical maritime corridor until a final agreement is officially inked. Expressing strong optimism regarding the trajectory of the ongoing backchannel talks, the US President indicated that a major diplomatic breakthrough could materialise within a matter of days. Mahima Joshi works as a Chief Copy Editor at Times Now and is part of the India and Breaking Desk. Covering national stories and bringing breaking new... View More