US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the agreement reached with Iran would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains permanently free of transit fees and claimed the deal had protected Israel from what he said was a potential nuclear threat.
Speaking to the New York Times in a phone interview from the White House, Trump said the agreement would reshape the regional dynamic in West Asia in the US’ favour and argued that American military action and the subsequent blockade of Iranian ports had forced Tehran back to the negotiating table.
He said negotiations on a final nuclear accord were expected to begin in Switzerland on Friday and warned that if Iran failed to reach a lasting agreement, the US could resume military operations.
Trump also suggested Washington could become what he called “the guardian” of West Asia in exchange for a share of regional revenues, saying that Washington would continue to play a central role in maintaining security across the region.
Trump also praised his Chinese and Russian counterparts, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, saying both leaders had helped prevent further escalation during the conflict.
“He was a total gentleman,” Trump said of Xi, adding that China had not attempted to challenge the US naval blockade.
Speaking of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump struck more of a mixed tone, criticising the Israeli premier of nearly undermining the diplomatic effort through continued military operations in Lebanon.
“He’s a very difficult guy,” Trump said. “He should be very thankful to us for doing this. Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”
Additionally, Trump went on to describe Iran’s current leadership, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, as pragmatic and capable of reaching an agreement, in a markedly different tone from his earlier calls for political change in Tehran, and his description of Mojtaba being a “lightweight”.
He also said Iran would not receive sanctions relief or access to frozen financial assets unless it fulfilled its commitments under the agreement.
According to Trump, Iran could eventually gain access to as much as $25bn in frozen funds, though only after complying with the terms of the accord.
On the nuclear issue, Trump said discussions were continuing over the future of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. He indicated that Tehran could be required to suspend enrichment for up to 20 years, though he suggested a shorter period remained under discussion.
He insisted Iran would only be permitted to enrich uranium at levels suitable for civilian purposes and said any future arrangement would ensure the country could not develop a nuclear weapon.
Trump also said the US would work with Iran to process and reduce its existing stockpile of enriched uranium and claimed future inspection arrangements would provide much faster access for international monitors than previous agreements.
While details of the memorandum of understanding have not yet been published, Trump repeatedly argued that the agreement was stronger than the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former president Barack Obama.
“We negotiated from strength,” he said. “He was basically paying them off.”
The US leader’s comments came ahead of his departure for the G7 summit, where European leaders welcomed the prospect of a diplomatic settlement and called for rapid implementation of any final agreement.
