Trump says deal 'not final,' warns Iran to 'behave' or face renewed strikes
President Donald Trump threatened to "go back to shooting" if he doesn't like the deal.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to resume military strikes if Iran does not “behave” following the signing of the interim agreement between the two countries.
"It’s not final. It's a memorandum of understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head,” Trump said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France.
Under the agreement, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would lift its naval blockade and both sides would enter 60 days of negotiations on a final agreement aimed at restricting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
A formal signing ceremony with senior US and Iranian officials is scheduled to take place at the Swiss mountain resort of Burgenstock on Friday. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said an initial round of negotiations will be held immediately after the signing.
Trump repeatedly described the MoU as a “very strong deal” although “nobody knows what it is.”
“If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head,” Trump said ahead of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Neither side has released the text of Sunday’s agreement, prompting calls from senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill for a vote. Under a 2015 law, the president must submit any nuclear-related agreement to Congress for a 30-day review and a vote on a resolution of disapproval.
Of particular concern to hawkish Republicans who opposed former President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal is the prospect of sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen assets under the current agreement, which a senior US official said Monday would be “performance-based.”
That official also said Washington could make “small gestures” early on to incentivize Tehran. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States would waive sanctions on Iran’s oil and fuel exports once the deal takes effect.
Trump denied that the MoU provides for any immediate sanctions relief for Iran or establishes a $300 billion reconstruction fund paid for by Gulf allies, despite the latter being raised by the senior US official briefing reporters Monday.
“It's false. You can invest if you want. We're not putting up 10 cents,” he said.
As Trump faces criticism in Washington, the leaders of the G7 issued a joint statement on Wednesday hailing the “breakthrough” deal reached between the United States and Iran secured “under the strong leadership of President Trump.”
This developing story has been updated since initial publication.
