US President Donald Trump said on 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.
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He made the remarks in Doha before flying on to the United Arab Emirates 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 per cent on rising hopes for a nuclear deal that could see Iranian exports return to the market.
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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.