US very close to a nuclear deal with Iran, says Trump

President Donald Trump said on May 15 that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and Tehran had "sort of" agreed to the terms.

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"We're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace," Mr Trump said on a tour of the Gulf, according to a shared pool report by AFP.

"We're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this... there (are) two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don't want to do it the second way," he said.

An Iranian source familiar with the negotiations said there were still gaps to bridge in the talks with the US.

Oil prices fell by about US$2 on May 15 on expectations for a US-Iran nuclear deal that could result in sanctions easing.

Talks between Iranian and US negotiators to resolve disputes over Tehran's nuclear programme ended in Oman on May 11 with further negotiations planned, officials said, as Tehran publicly insisted on continuing its uranium enrichment.