Almost immediately after striking a deal with Iran, President Trump appeared eager to take a victory lap.
He urged that this agreement will open up the Strait of Hormuz, an important water route for the world’s electricity supply, the stoppage of its ships has disrupted the world’s economy. He told The New York Times that his efforts saved Israel from nuclear annihilation and made the Middle East safer. All this gave him an important win as he heads to France for the Group of 7 summit, where he will meet European leaders who have criticized his approach to the war.
Despite the claims of Mr. Trump big, the agreement has not achieved the important goals he set three months ago by starting the US-Israeli war against Iran.
At that time, Mr. Trump said the United States intended to “destroy” Iran’s military power, end its nuclear ambitions, topple its theocratic leadership and free its people, who he had encouraged to take over their own government when the war ended. Just a week after the strikes began, he said Iran’s only way to enter the deal was “unconditional surrender.”
Mr. Trump declared victory on Sunday largely based on solving a self-inflicted problem, miscalculating Iran’s ability to choke the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump asserted on Truth Social that he had authorized the free opening of the vital waterway, which would restore the status quo before the war, and celebrated that the world’s energy markets would bounce back.
He wrote: “Ships of the Earth, start your engines. “Let the oil flow!”
The latest draft, which has not been made public and is expected to be signed in Geneva on Friday, is a milestone in the three months since Mr.
He said Iran’s nuclear program had been “destroyed” in US strikes last year, but said the war was necessary to prevent the Iranians from getting a nuclear weapon.
Mr. Trump said Iran’s nuclear program poses a threat not only to allies, but also to US forces overseas and to the American people every day. He was clear that the end of the war would depend on one principle: “It has always been the policy of the United States, especially, my administration, that this terrorist regime will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “I’ll say it again. They will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Even on Saturday, when he announced that the deal would be signed the next day, he said that Iran’s leaders “no longer want a nuclear weapon, and they will not have it, through purchase, development, or any other type of purchase.
But the deal leaves that issue unresolved for at least another 60 days, when the two sides are expected to discuss nuclear issues.
Mr. Trump did not include the deal as a solution to the nuclear threat. Instead he focuses on the Middle East and his heritage.
“This Greatness will bring Peace and Security to the entire Region,” he wrote on social media. “Many presidents have tried to make peace with Iran, and they have all failed in front of me.”
Mr. Trump has also sent conflicting messages about how far he will go to secure the Iran nuclear deal. He has gone from threatening to destroy the country’s civilization to saying that he was in no rush to remove the remaining uranium-enriched waste.
At the beginning of the war, Mr. Trump initially said the United States would achieve its goals in “four to five weeks.” He also compared the Iran war to his swift military campaign in Venezuela, where the top leader was removed but much of the government remained, willing to cooperate with the United States.
The war instead dragged on for months, killing thousands of Iranian citizens and 13 American soldiers. Instead of bowing to the United States, Iran’s new leadership has been bold, resisting military and diplomatic pressure to persist in its goal of advancing the nuclear program.
In talks with Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the special envoy, Steve Witkoff, the Iranians have been adamant about not denying the right to enrich uranium.
“On nuclear issues, there is no agreement,” Daniel B. Shapiro, former US ambassador to Israel, said in a statement on X. “Iran knows how to cancel those talks, and try to pocket a deal.”
He added that the United States now appears to be paying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by lifting sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration has said Iran will not get relief from sanctions or the release of its frozen financial assets until it fulfills its obligations.
The framework provides a path towards possible peace and economic freedom. And on Monday, world leaders and global markets expressed optimism.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who previously said the United States was “lacking a strategy” and was “embarrassed” by Iran in the war, congratulated both sides on the political breakthrough, calling it a potential step toward “a revitalized world economy and a more secure Middle East.”
But it was a cautious hope because of all the uncertainty. The bottom line is that Iran’s nuclear program will need to be accelerated in the next two months of talks, raising questions about whether there will be a lasting peace.
A lot of pirates may appear along the way. Israel in particular, an ally in the war but not in the peace framework, was less enthusiastic about the deal. Mr. Trump himself said in an interview with the Times that he is willing to resume military attacks against Tehran if Iran fails to reach a final nuclear deal with the United States.
Some of the supporters of Mr. Trump seemed concerned about the lack of completion of negotiations. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who has long supported military action against Iran, said he was “somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the deal appears to be different than what the US negotiating team is saying.”
“I will be watching closely the discussions that will follow on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues,” said Mr. Graham. He added that Vice President JD Vance, whom he described as a “deal maker,” should ensure that a final deal is presented to Congress.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Mr. Vance said the draft gave the administration “power,” though “details remain to be discovered,” including enriched uranium.
As the talks continued over the weekend, Mr. Trump sent a long criticism on social media about the previous agreement made with Iran by President Barack Obama, saying that the one he is working on will be better.
Mr. Shapiro, who is also a partner at the Atlantic Council research center, said that on social media Mr. Trump seems to focus on comparing his agreement with Obama’s agreement, but America is far from reaching such a conclusion.
“It is possible that no agreement will ever be reached,” said Mr.
