President Donald Trump, in a statement circulated Wednesday afternoon, defended the emerging nuclear deal with Iran by arguing the alternative was a global recession, calling opponents 'stupid people' and asserting the Strait of Hormuz 'would never have opened.' The remarks reinforce a key Iranian bargaining position, according to Israeli outlet Abu Ali Express.
President Trump escalated his defense of the emerging nuclear deal with Iran in a statement circulated Wednesday afternoon, calling opponents 'stupid people' and arguing that without the agreement the Strait of Hormuz 'would never have opened.' The remarks, reported by Israeli outlet Abu Ali Express, frame the alternative as a global recession and come hours after earlier comments at the G7 summit.
This marks the third iteration of Trump's public messaging on the deal within hours. At 13:48 Jerusalem time, the president posted on Truth Social that he is '99.9 percent' certain Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons (version 1). Shortly after, at the G7 summit, he warned that the alternative is 'a global recession only stupid people would want' (version 2, also timestamped 13:48 Jerusalem). The current statement deepens that line by directly tying the deal to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key Iranian demand. The Zioneer subsequently published both a bulletin and an article at 13:54 and 15:11 Jerusalem respectively, corroborating the remarks across multiple reports.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, Israel received intelligence that Trump is convinced reopening the strait is essential to avoid a global recession — a driver the president now echoes publicly. A Washington Post analysis published Monday argued the U.S. settled for a cosmetic compromise. The Iranian position, as reported Saturday, includes demands for Hormuz revenue and a commission mechanism for control, which an Iranian official said Trump's posts contradict.
It remains unclear whether the president's remarks reflect a deliberate negotiating tactic or genuine conviction. Opponents of the deal, including within Israel, have argued that granting Iran any role in the strait's governance would legitimize its coercive leverage.
4 developments
- StrongTrump: Strait of Hormuz fully open by Friday, Iran will not get nuclear weapons
- StrongTrump says tankers are sailing out of Strait of Hormuz, contradicting Iranian reports
- StrongTrump says Strait of Hormuz to reopen as early as Saturday or Monday
- DevelopingReport: Trump demands immediate, non-phased reopening of Strait of Hormuz and end to naval blockade
Source and signal
- Internal intake