Live updates: Trump announces ceasefire in Lebanon and voices confidence an Iran deal will follow

President Donald Trump projected optimism about striking a deal with Iran, claiming Tehran is willing to do things it wasn’t two months ago. He cited an agreement that the country would not have a nuclear weapon and would hand over its “nuclear dust.”

“So, very important is that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and they have agreed to that. Iran’s agreed to that, and they’ve agreed to it very powerfully,” Trump told reporters while leaving the White House on Thursday.

He added: “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust that’s way underground because of the attack we made with the B2 bombers,” referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June.

“So we have a lot of agreement with Iran,” Trump said, praising the negotiations. Iran has not confirmed that it has agreed to those terms.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and we’re dealing very nicely with them. We’ve got to have no nuclear weapons,” Trump said, adding: “That’s a big factor, and they’re willing to do things today that they weren’t two months ago.”

Asked about a prior proposal for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, Trump said there was no such limitation and that any suspension would go beyond that: “We have a statement, very powerful statement, that they will not have, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons. … There’s no 20-year limit.”

Iran agreed never to acquire nuclear weapons in a 2015 deal with major world powers. Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the accord during his first term.