Trump says Iran nuclear talks going 'very well,' deal possible this weekend

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiations with Iran over ending the war were progressing smoothly and that a memorandum of understanding could be signed as early as this weekend.

Speaking to reporters at the White House after an executive order signing ceremony, Trump said he had been told the talks were going "very well" when asked whether the truce between the United States and Iran remained in effect despite Iran's attack on Kuwait.

On the prospects for a deal, Trump acknowledged it might not come together but said, "If it happens, it could happen this weekend." He added that, in theory, the two sides were "quite close to them signing a document."

Addressing Iran's attack on Kuwait, Trump said "there are reasons for everything" and noted that the United States had recently struck Iran with significant military force. "They responded to that," he said.

He also suggested the truce between the two countries remained intact, saying, "The ceasefire there is different from ceasefires in other parts of the world."

US forces struck military facilities including radar installations on Qeshm Island on June 1, then disabled an Iranian oil tanker with a missile on June 2. Iran responded by launching a drone attack on Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, killing at least one person, wounding several others and damaging parts of the facility.

Trump's remarks appeared designed to keep the negotiating track alive by framing Iran's Kuwait strike as retaliation for US military action rather than a breach of the truce.

On the specifics of the talks, Trump again said Iran had agreed not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.

On the question of Iran's highly enriched uranium, Trump said the United States would secure it "in the not-too-distant future," adding that as of now, "we have an agreement to go in with them and secure it and destroy it."

Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen as soon as the two sides signed the MOU to end the war.

Asked whether Israel's continued strikes against Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon could complicate the US-Iran negotiations, Trump said he was "trying to keep that separate."

Trump said the United States had been in contact with both Israel and Hezbollah, and that both sides had indicated they would hold off on further strikes. "We'll have to see what happens, but I want to keep that separate," he said.

Meanwhile, Trump, who turns 80 on June 14, was asked what wish he would make while blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. He invoked his signature slogan — MAGA, short for "Make America Great Again" — and said, "That's all I want."