Deal States 'Loud And Clear' Iran Won't Have Nuclear Weapons, Trump Says
by RFE/RL · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinUS President Donald Trump said a framework agreement to be signed with Iran this week makes it "loud and clear" that Tehran will not develop or acquire nuclear weapons as the two sides try to move toward ending their war.
"The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear," Trump told reporters at the G7 summit in France on June 16.
"All hell will rain down" on Iran if the Islamic republic moves to acquire a nuclear weapon, he added.
"We have our deal done with Iran, and it should be successful, it goes to a second stage, which I think would be actually easier," he said.
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US, Iran Sign Framework Deal Electronically Ahead Of Official Ceremony
The United States and Iran electronically signed the memorandum of understanding on June 15 to end the three-month-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to senior US administration officials, with the deal set to be formally signed at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 19.
Trump gave no details of the framework agreement, which extends a current cease-fire by 60 days to allow for talks between the two sides on bringing a lasting end to the conflict that began on February 28 with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told a briefing of foreign journalists on June 16 that the "most important" issue in the memorandum is "the declaration of an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
Trump has expressed frustration with Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over continued strikes on targets inside Lebanon he says are aimed at militants of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is both a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, although the European Union has only blacklisted its armed wing.
Trump told journalists at the G7 meeting on June 16 that while he has a great relationship with Netanyahu, the Israeli leader must be more "responsible" with respect to Lebanon.
Both Tehran and Washington have claimed victory with the deal amid mixed signals over its contents.
Iran's state-run Mehr news agency issued what it said were the details of the 14-point memorandum of understanding, saying it envisions talks concerning nuclear issues and the full lifting of sanctions against Tehran.
Washington has emphasized that the key element of any comprehensive peace deal would be to assure Iran does not achieve a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz be open to the free flow of shipping.
The strait, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies, was effectively closed by Iran after the launch of the US-Israeli military campaign. The move rattled energy markets and upended the global economy.
Washington insisted that passage through the strait would remain toll-free for 60 days under the memorandum, with regional talks to determine long-term arrangements.
But ambiguity persists regarding fees for passage through the strategic waterway.
The Fars news agency, which is close to the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said that "it has been decided that marine traffic through the Gulf will be regulated by Iran in coordination with Oman" -- remarks that run counter to Washington's claims.
Analysts have said it will take weeks for transit to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war was a route for about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies.
Deal States 'Loud And Clear' Iran Won't Have Nuclear Weapons, Trump Says
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