WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States and Iran were in talks to negotiate an end to their conflict, but repeated that Tehran was not yet ready for a deal.

“We are talking to them. I think they’re being serious. I think … they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen them, but that doesn’t mean we get there. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said in remarks to reporters at the White House.

(Reporting by Bo Erickson, Bhargav Acharya and Ismail Shakil;Editing by David Ljunggren)

OTHER IRAN WAR NEWS

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The U.S. military says it has fired on a merchant vessel attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran targeted American strongholds around the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia struck the port city of Hodeida in Yemen. The conflict shows no signs of easing after 13 nights of strikes. U.S. embassies in the Middle East have warned Americans that options to leave could become limited. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard advised residents of neighboring countries to avoid bases with U.S. troops. The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point, with its closure causing economic turmoil. Diplomatic efforts appear stalled, with no signs of progress in negotiations.