Donald Trump said a memorandum of understanding signed with Iran on Sunday to help wind down the conflict is not yet a final deal, warning that the United States could still resume military action against the Islamic Republic.
Speaking at the Group of Seven summit in France alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Trump told reporters the agreement, signed by both him and Vice President JD Vance, remains incomplete.
“No, it’s not final, it’s a memorandum of understanding,” Trump said. “If I don’t like it, we will go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head.”
A senior administration official told the Daily Mail on Monday that Trump, Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed a digital version of the MOU on Sunday.
Even so, Trump appeared to cast doubt on the agreement by Wednesday.
“If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we will go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head. Okay? Because they misbehaved for 47 years,” Trump said in a defiant tone.
Leaked copies of the MOU have been circulating among government officials and media organizations, potentially complicating the matter, which Trump says is fluid.
The memorandum stipulates compromises that both Iran and the US have to make to extend the ongoing ceasefire for 60 days, during which specific details for a lasting peace agreement can be negotiated.
President Donald Trump declared the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran is not ‘final,’ despite having signed a copy of it on Sunday with VP JD Vance and an Iranian counterpart
The MOU would reopen the Strait of Hormuz (pictured above) and end the US blockade on the region in exchange for Iran agreeing to never create a nuclear weapon and for it surrendering its nuclear material, a senior Trump admin official has told the Daily Mail
That official said that the MOU has already been signed by Trump, Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, pictured above
The President’s proclamation comes less than 48 hours before VP Vance is expected to travel to Switzerland to sign the historic agreement.
Trump has not confirmed whether he would attend, though the Secret Service typically recommends against both leaders traveling abroad simultaneously.
The US-Iran agreement lays out the terms for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a commitment from Iran to never create a nuclear weapon and details on financial relief for the Islamic Republic.
Comprising 14 points, the MOU allows Iran to sell its oil and petrol products on the global market, according to a draft obtained by CNN.
It also allows Tehran to tap into a $300 billion development fund if it follows through on its commitments to wind down its nuclear programs.
It is unclear, however, where the billions would come from, as the President claimed on Wednesday that the US would not be footing the bill.
‘It’s false,’ Trump said when asked if the US is putting up the money.
‘You can invest if you want. What am I going to do, say no one is ever allowed to invest? We’re not investing, we’re not putting up 10 cents and people can decide to do it. That’s up to them.’
Trump said the US would not be funding the reported $300 billion Iranian development project
It has been reported that Gulf countries are expected to invest in the $300 billion Iranian development fund.
‘If they do it fine,’ Trump said of the potential investments. ‘But I would say they won’t be doing it for a while until they find out the behavior. It’s a behavior thing, but we are not investing.’
Trump also bashed former President Barack Obama for approving a previous deal with Iran that provided them $1.7 billion in cash.
‘The JCPOA done by Obama – he handed them $1.7B in cash… they tried to bribe their way out of it, and you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama and they said he’s a stupid son of a b****.’
The White House pushed back against the details of the MOU, which is currently being circulated among leaders at the G7 and the press.
‘The supposed text of the MOU that was obtained by CNN does not reflect the language of the actual MOU,’ Trump aide Steven Chueng said in a statement.
Critics and allies of the administration have repeatedly called for the language of the MOU to be released, but so far, the White House has chosen not to do so.
A senior Trump administration official told the Daily Mail on Monday that the text would be released within 24 to 48 hours, though the details are still under wraps.
