President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding with Iran is over, calling the Iranian leadership 'liars' and saying dealing with them is 'a waste of time.' He also expressed personal affection for Turkish President Erdogan, calling him 'an excellent guy,' and for Prime Minister Netanyahu, despite Netanyahu's past criticism of him. The remarks, according to Israeli media reports, signal a further hardening of Trump's stance on Iran.
President Donald Trump's latest remarks at 12:08 Jerusalem time add a new personal dimension to his escalating rhetoric on Iran. In addition to declaring the memorandum of understanding 'over' and calling the Iranian leadership 'liars' and the effort 'a waste of time,' he expressed personal affection for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him 'an excellent guy,' and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he likes him despite Netanyahu's past criticism. These comments mark a further hardening of Trump's stance, closing the door on diplomatic engagement that he had left slightly ajar in his earlier statements this morning.
The thread of Trump's statements on Iran evolved rapidly through the morning. At 11:19 Jerusalem, Amit Segal (N12) reported Trump saying the MOU is 'dead.' By 11:22, Trump had called Tehran 'worthless, bad, violent' and threatened to use a nuclear weapon against Iran. At 11:38, he said the ceasefire with Iran is over and that he had launched new strikes, but he left the door open for negotiations. The new statement, at 12:08, abandons that opening and adds the personal attacks on the Iranian leadership, as well as unexpected praise for Erdogan and Netanyahu.
The Zioneer has reported on the broader context of Trump's Iran policy over the past weeks. On June 13, The Zioneer reported that Trump told Netanyahu 'it's time to end this war' as an Iran deal neared. On July 1, Trump said technical talks in Doha were going 'very good,' a stark contrast to today's hostile rhetoric. The rapid reversal from engagement to confrontation underscores the volatility of U.S.-Iran diplomacy.
It remains unclear whether the new personal remarks signal a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy beyond Iran. The statement does not address the status of the military strikes Trump referenced at 11:38, nor does it clarify the fate of the Doha technical talks. The personal affection for Erdogan and Netanyahu may reflect bilateral dynamics rather than a change in Iran strategy.
4 developments
- DevelopingTrump: 'In my opinion, the MOU with Iran is dead' — Amit Segal (N12)
- DevelopingTrump accuses Iranian leadership of lying about nuclear deal, calls them 'crazy'
- DevelopingTrump says Iran fooled him, calls Tehran's deal confirmation 'weak and pathetic'
- StrongTrump tells Netanyahu he is determined to sign Iran agreement as deal talks accelerate
Source and signal
- Internal intake