Donald Trump says the U.S.-Iran war is "very close" to an end amid a two-week ceasefire, as U.S. and Iranian negotiators prepare to restart peace talks Thursday.

The Trump administration said last week that the war had run its course, but the U.S. president and Israel’s prime minister in interviews on Sunday did not rule out renewed combat.

Trump called Iran’s counter peace proposal “totally unacceptable,” dimming the prospects of an imminent deal to end the war.

Stocks were climbing for the third day in a row this week as enthusiasm over the expected end of the war in Iran buoyed the market, and investors looked forward to earnings season, which has kicked off this week with strong results from the top banks.

Talks to end the conflict have dragged on for weeks, with the U.S. seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Like Lucy with the football, President Donald Trump keeps teasing that a deal to end the war with Iran is nearly over.

US President Donald Trump has predicted that the war in Iran will be "over quickly" and says that most people "understand" his goal of ending Tehran's nuclear ambitions. His comments come after Iran said a US proposal to end the war is "still being considered".

By Isla Binnie NEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - Wall Street's stock benchmark S&P 500 touched an intraday record high as hopes for a cooling of U.S.-Iran tensions and strong earnings expectations boosted risk appetite on Wednesday,

DUBAI/WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump said the war he launched with Israel on Iran was close to over, as the army chief of mediator Pakistan arrived in Tehran to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict.

P resident Trump really, really wants the war with Iran to end. He has declared victory many times, including about three weeks ago, when Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz. He has repeatedly extended his cease-fire deadlines instead of following through on his (sometimes-apocalyptic) threats to resume hostilities.