President Donald Trump said late Monday that as long as Iran respects the US, there will be no trouble, but he will do what he must if it does not adhere to the memorandum of understanding. He also addressed the Lebanon front — saying he will examine Prime Minister Netanyahu's claim that Israeli forces are not leaving — and discussed Iranian sanctions relief, insisting the money will be spent on food purchased exclusively from US farmers. The remarks were reported by journalist Ben Yaniv.
President Donald Trump issued a series of statements late Monday evening on Iran, Lebanon, and sanctions policy, as reported by journalist Ben Yaniv.
On Iran, Trump said that as long as Tehran respects the United States, there will be no problems, adding that the US has "absolute control" over the strait. When asked about Iran's compliance with the memorandum of understanding, he replied: "If Iran does not adhere to the MOU, I will do what I have to do."
Regarding the Lebanon front, a reporter noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israeli forces are not leaving. Trump responded: "We are going to examine that. I solve problems; I can solve problems quickly — including with Bibi."
On the economic front, when asked about the Treasury Department lifting sanctions on Iranian oil, Trump said he would need to verify the situation but warned that if sanctions are lifted, money will flow into Iran and eventually return to the US. He added that any funds released to Iran would be spent on food purchased exclusively through US farmers, to feed Iran's population of 90 million.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Monday evening, Trump had already stated that as long as Iran respects the US, there will be no issue between the two countries. Friday's remarks in which he said he can prevent Israel from striking Lebanon because "they do as I say" provide additional context for his statements on the Lebanon front. The president's latest remarks appear consistent with his pattern of asserting personal authority over both the Iran and Lebanon tracks while leaving details of implementation unclear.
2 developments
- StrongTrump to Iran: If you violate the deal, I'll do what I have to do
- StrongTrump: If no deal with Iran, US will take steps Tehran won't accept; insists ties with Israel 'excellent'
- DevelopingTrump says he can prevent Israel from striking Lebanon because 'they do as I say'
- StrongTrump: Iran deal details to be published soon; no sanctions relief until Iran complies
Source and signal
- Internal intake