US, Iran closer to reaching nuclear deal, says Trump

The US president also boasted of raising 'trillions of dollars' on a Gulf tour

- AFP

President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran's nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling, as he boasted of raising "trillions of dollars" on a Gulf tour.

He made the remarks in Doha before flying on to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on the third and final leg of a Gulf tour that began in Saudi Arabia.

"We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran," Trump said.

"I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this," he said, referring to military action.

Oil prices plunged more than three percent on rising hopes for a nuclear deal that could see Iranian exports return to the market.

Iran has held four rounds of talks with the Trump administration, which has sought to avert threatened military action by Israel while keeping up its "maximum pressure" campaign.

"You probably read today the story about Iran. It's sort of agreed to the terms," Trump said.

The US president did not specify which remarks he was referring to, but an adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, told NBC News that Tehran would give up its stocks of highly enriched uranium as part of a deal in which Washington lifts sanctions.