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 morning 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."

He said sending special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to talks is "unlikely."

The president said it's possible a deal could be struck to end the war before his trip to China next week.

"I think it's got a very good chance of ending, and if it doesn't end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them," Trump told White House correspondent Liz Landers.

The call came hours after Trump posted on Truth Social that a mission to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz would be "paused" as the countries got closer to a deal.

READ MORE: 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran, new poll finds

The president also defended his White House ballroom project, which faced renewed scrutiny this week after Senate Republicans proposed including $1 billion for security upgrades to the East Wing in a reconciliation bill. Trump has touted the project as funded by himself and other private donors. The estimated price tag of $200 million has nearly doubled in recent months.

"It's a tiny, it's one one-millionth of a percent of what we do. That's a small deal. And I'm putting up a lot of money myself," he said.

Here are highlights from the call.

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Liz Landers: I just saw your posts on social media about Iran. Do you feel optimistic that the U.S. is closing in on a deal?

President Donald Trump: Yeah, I think so, but I felt that way before with them, so we'll see what happens, and we'll– I think we'll have a very good chance of making a deal again. If we don't, we'll go back to our old ways.

Liz Landers: Right. Do you think that– Some of the reporting says that Iran– part of the deal would include that Iran would export its highly enriched uranium, perhaps, to the United States? Is that part of the deal?

President Donald Trump: No, not perhaps. It goes to the United States.

Liz Landers: OK, got it. And that another point in the deal is that Iran would pledge to operate– not to operate their underground facilities. Is that also part of the deal?

President Donald Trump: Correct, yeah.

Liz Landers: OK.

President Donald Trump: They would be operating in for goodwill for a long period of time.

Liz Landers: OK. And also, it says–

President Donald Trump: In other words, we're getting there.

Liz Landers: You're getting there. Do you think you might send Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner?

President Donald Trump: Unlikely, I think we can do it here, and maybe for the final meeting, we'll have a signing someplace.

Liz Landers: OK.

President Donald Trump: [Inaudible]. But unlikely. But it's getting very close. If they agree, it's over, and if they don't agree, we bomb.

Liz Landers: OK. Iranian– it also says Iranian enrichment would– Iranian enrichment freeze would be followed by 3.67 enrichment. Do you know anything about that? Is that part of the deal?

President Donald Trump: No, it's not part of the deal, no.

Liz Landers: OK.

President Donald Trump: It's not. That's very little, by the way. That's very small.–

Liz Landers: Right.

President Donald Trump: But it's still not part of the deal.

Liz Landers: Yesterday, I asked Secretary [Marco] Rubio in the briefing about, you know, you guys have made a big point of going after Iran financially right now. Would you target Chinese banks because they are buying Iranian oil?

President Donald Trump: Well, if we make this deal, we'll be lightening up on Iran with sanctions, et cetera, so we won't have to worry about this.

Liz Landers: OK, is that something that you would potentially bring up with Xi [Jinping], how they have been–

President Donald Trump: No.

Liz Landers: You know, indirectly supporting? You said–

President Donald Trump: Well, it is what it is, right? People– We do things, too, against them. So I'll bring it up. But if this ends, there'll be not much to bring up, frankly. I think it's got a very good chance of ending, and if it doesn't end, we have to go back to bombing the hell out of them. Very simple.

Liz Landers: Do you think that this would end before you leave for China next week?

President Donald Trump: It's possible, yeah.

Liz Landers: OK. One–

President Donald Trump: It would be ideal. It doesn't have to, but it would be ideal.

Liz Landers: Gotcha. You have talked about gas prices, and you've said that you think that gas prices will drop like a rock–

President Donald Trump: Way down.

Liz Landers: When this is over.

President Donald Trump: Well, we have 1,000 boats that are loaded up with oil that can't, you know, go anywhere. So, when that– It's gonna be a, it's gonna be an oil rush.

Liz Landers: Historically, though, in these kinds of conflicts, the price of gas skyrockets quickly, and then it takes a while for them to come down. Why do you think that this would be different?

President Donald Trump: Well, I mean, that may happen but it may also come down. Nobody really knows. Look, I predicted, a lot of people predicted, I predicted, what, exactly what happened, actually. But a lot of people predicted, you know, that oil is gonna go up to $300, $350 [a barrel]. Well, it said $100 right now.

Liz Landers: Right.

President Donald Trump: It was never– And they thought the stock market would go by down at least 25%. I was prepared for that because it was worth it, because [Iran] cannot have a nuclear weapon. So I was prepared for that. But a lot of people predicted that the stock market would come down 25% or more, and that oil would be at $300. Well, oil was at – I mean, what's it now, $100, less than $100?

Liz Landers: Yeah, it's around that. Yes, sir.

President Donald Trump: And so, you know, I mean, the predictions were– Everybody's predictions were wrong, except mine, so, anyway. But I was prepared for that. It's worth it that they not have a nuclear weapon, no?

Liz Landers: You posted, also, a few moments ago about the ballroom and the cost of the ballroom.

President Donald Trump: Yeah.

Liz Landers: Are you worried that that ballroom is hundreds of millions of dollars, and Americans are struggling to pay for gas right now?

President Donald Trump: No, we need it. We need it. No, no, it's a tiny– it's one one-millionth of a percent of what we do. That's a small deal. And I'm putting up a lot of money myself. So, you know, it's largely financed by me. All that they're doing is financing some security. And it's not a billion dollars. It's just a few, what's needed for security. It's a small fraction of that. But no, not at all, because I'm putting up 100, I'm putting up $400 million.

Liz Landers: Some of that is raised from private companies, right? Is that what you mean?

President Donald Trump: Yeah, yeah, myself and private companies donated it. But they're adding security to it. That's all they're doing.

Liz Landers: One final question for you about immigration …

President Donald Trump: And by the way, the size is doubled, so, you know, the price didn't double. When we, when I started it, it was a much smaller unit. And then I realized as time went by– Plus, we want to have the inaugurations in the ballroom. You know, this is big enough to handle the inauguration. And it's got bulletproof glass. It's got– As an example, when you go to the Capitol, that's not, you know, it was built a long time ago. That's not equipped to do this, with the bulletproof glass, with all the other things that we have. It's really, this is gonna be amazing. So we want safety, we want security, and that's what we have with the ballroom. And as an example, we have a drone-proof roof. Nice thing in these modern days, you know, who has a drone proof roof? So it's gonna be great. But this can handle the inaugurations in the future. A president can walk right from the White House into the ballroom. There's no going on the streets, and the big deal. And what are they doing about the White House Correspondents' Dinner, do you know?

Liz Landers: It sounds like they are going to try to reschedule it. I'm not sure when, though. I think it's been announced.

President Donald Trump: Yeah, well, they should do it, it would be– You don't want to let these guys take over society.

Liz Landers: Yes.

President Donald Trump: You gotta keep it going. I think it would be a big mistake. You can tell whoever's handling that we'll be– You know, we're ready, willing, and able.