President Donald Trump, in a statement circulated Wednesday afternoon, defended the emerging nuclear deal with Iran by arguing the alternative was a global recession, saying 'stupid people' want to see a recession and asserting the Strait of Hormuz 'would never have opened.' The remarks, reported by Israeli outlet Abu Ali Express, follow his earlier comments at the G7 summit and are seen as reinforcing the Iranian negotiating position.
President Donald Trump continued to defend the emerging nuclear deal with Iran on Wednesday, releasing a statement in which he framed opposition to the agreement as dangerous economic folly. Trump said the alternative to the deal was 'a global recession,' and that 'stupid people' who oppose it want to see such a recession. He also asserted that without the deal, the Strait of Hormuz 'would never have been opened.'
The statement, reported by Israeli outlet Abu Ali Express, follows a similar argument Trump made earlier Wednesday at the G7 summit, where he told fellow leaders the same line about a global recession and declared he was '99.9% sure' Iran would not obtain nuclear weapons. As The Zioneer reported at 13:53 and 13:54, that G7 appearance included Trump arriving late and declaring 'I'm the boss.'
The outlet's analysis accompanying the statement notes that Trump is effectively bolstering the Iranian negotiator's position by publicly explaining why he conceded to Tehran. According to the report, Iran receives validation of its military deterrence — the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz — through Trump's own framing. This comes amid a series of reports over the past week documenting the evolving deal, including a June 12 report by The Zioneer that Trump said the US and Iran were near a preliminary 60-day ceasefire agreement that would reopen the strait. On June 15, The Zioneer reported that Trump confirmed a deal, saying 'Let the oil flow.' However, the broader context includes reports of Israeli reservations and Trump's own earlier reversal, when he accused Iran of fooling him and called their deal confirmation 'weak and pathetic' on June 12.
What remains unconfirmed is the precise status of the negotiations; the statement is Trump's rhetoric rather than a formal announcement of a signed agreement.
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