WASHINGTON, September 17. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump believes that Iran is seeking to reach a deal with the United States but is not yet ready for it.

"That war is going to end very soon," the US leader told a rally in North Carolina. "They want to make a deal so badly."

"They call: ‘We want to make a deal. We want to make it,’" Trump added. "They're not ready yet. I don't think, but we could have a deal any time we want."

He reiterated his forecast that the conflict will end after the midterm elections to the US Congress due in November, adding that he also sees a possibility of an earlier solution.

The US and Israel began a war with Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, on the night of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating the terms of the agreements reached regarding the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 25% of global oil trade and about 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade pass. Subsequently, the US administration effectively signaled an end to the use of large-scale military force against Iran, shifting toward an attempt to economically strangle the country through sanctions.