From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Trump says he’s optimistic about a deal; Israeli official: If we put his Iran statements into ChatGPT, ‘it will implode’
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Donald Trump tells Channel 12 that he is optimistic about the chances for a deal with Iran.
“The concept of the deal is done. I think we have a very good chance to get it completed,” Trump tells the Israeli TV channel’s Barak Ravid.
However, according to the same report, Trump did not talk about an impending deal with Iran during a meeting with his top advisers yesterday, which could be an indication that the US is gearing up for a return to fighting. Ravid adds that Iran’s leadership seems suspicious that Trump’s upbeat talk of a deal could be intended to create cover for a surprise US attack on Iranian targets.
At the same time, an unamed US official tells the outlet that Trump is serious about reaching an agreement with Iran during talks this week in Pakistan.
Israel believes that Trump does want to reach a negotiated solution, Channel 12 further reports, and that if he does not reach one this week, the sides will extend the ceasefire to give space to reach an agreement.
A senior Israeli official admits that it is impossible to gain a full read on Trump’s intentions, saying, “If we put Trump’s statements into ChatGPT, it will implode.”
If talks do collapse, reports Channel 12, Israel has prepared a series of Iranian targets to hit. Though Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure if a deal is not reached, Israel’s targets are not necessarily infrastructure sites.
The Times of Israel Community.