U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war was "very possible" following "very good talks" over the past day.

"We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it's very possible that we'll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about striking a deal with Iran, which could include Iran exporting its highly enriched uranium to the United States, in a phone call Wednesday with PBS News.

Trump said he feels the U.S. is closing in on a deal, "but I felt that way before with them, so we'll see what happens."

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday that a U.S. proposal to end the war is still "under review" by Tehran, local media reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum Wednesday for Iran to accept a deal to end the war or face renewed, more intense U.S. bombing, in the latest of a series of abrupt policy shifts.

"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is perhaps a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform," using the U.S. name for its campaign against Iran.

The United States and a key mediator in the Middle East war expressed new hope of talks leading to a peace deal with Iran on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump halted a plan to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House believes it's getting close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations, two U.S. officials and two other sources briefed on the issue told U.S. news portal Axios.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a "greater role" in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before U.S. President Donald Trump is due to meet Xi Jinping.

A container ship owned by French shipping company CMA CGM was the "target of an attack" in the Strait of Hormuz, the major shipping firm said on Wednesday.

"The CMA CGM San Antonio was the target of an attack yesterday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries among crew members and damage to the vessel," the shipping firm told AFP, adding those injured had been evacuated for treatment.

U.S. President Donald Trump said early Wednesday that he has paused the so-called "Project Freedom" to see whether a deal can be signed with Iran, after "great progress" was made toward "a complete and final agreement."

Israel's new air force chief Major General Omer Tischler said on Tuesday that Israel was prepared to deploy its entire fleet of fighter jets against Iran if necessary.

He spoke weeks into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war, which erupted when Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran in February.