President Trump told associates in Paris on Wednesday that he was intimidated into backing down on Iran, explaining that he was warned the global economy would slide to the level of the 1930s Great Depression unless the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was lifted, according to Israeli journalist Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom).
President Donald Trump told associates in Paris on Wednesday that he was forced to back down in his confrontation with Iran because he feared the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a global depression, according to a report by Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom).
Quoting sources present in the conversations, Kahana reported that Trump said he was warned that unless the blockade was lifted, the world economy would deteriorate to the level of the 'Great Depression' of the 1930s. The admission, made during his visit to France, marks one of the most explicit acknowledgments yet that economic pressure — rather than strategic choice — drove the president's shift. The report aligns with earlier Israeli assessments, including an analysis published Monday by Gplanet, which argued that Trump's reversal on Iran was driven by domestic constraints. As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Israel has acknowledged it understands the president's predicament, refraining from public criticism even as it opposed the emerging deal.
Trump's remarks reinforce a narrative that has dominated Israeli commentary in recent days: that his administration prioritized reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lowering oil prices over dismantling Iran's nuclear program. The Strait reopened under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed last week, which Israel viewed with deep reservations. The claim that Trump himself characterizes the outcome as a capitulation, attributed here to on-the-record sources in Paris, has not been independently corroborated.
2 developments
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom: Trump pushing through MOU with Iran despite Israeli reservations
- DevelopingWashington Post: Trump forced to back down on Iran, settle for Hormuz reopening
- StrongAnalysts Warn Trump's Iran Deal May Prioritize Hormuz Stability Over Israeli Security
- DevelopingBarak Betesh (i24NEWS) scrutinizes Trump’s claim on toll-free Hormuz, noting Iran switched to insurance fee instead
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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