U.S. President Donald Trump stood firmly behind a temporary agreement with Iran on Tuesday, insisting the deal makes it absolutely clear that Tehran will never be permitted to build a nuclear weapon. He also floated the idea that Syria might be better suited than Israel to handle the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Trump made the remarks before sitting down with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. The president was defending a 14-point memorandum of understanding reached with Iran, the full contents of which have not yet been released to the public.
“The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear,” Trump told reporters. He added a stark warning, saying “all hell will rain down” on Iran if it attempted to acquire one.
U.S. and Iranian representatives are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Friday to kick off in-depth negotiations. That meeting will open a 60-day period for complex technical discussions expected to address topics including what happens to Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and the potential easing of economic sanctions.
Some European allies have expressed worry that the American negotiating team lacks the experience needed to lock in a strong deal, which could lead to a lengthy standoff rather than a resolution.
For comparison, former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran — which included sanctions relief — took two full years to finalize. Trump pulled the United States out of that agreement during his first term in office.
“This deal is a wall to a nuclear weapon. His deal was a road to a nuclear weapon. My deal, they can’t have a nuclear, they get blown up,” Trump said, referring to Obama’s earlier accord.
Diplomatic analysts point out that Iranian negotiators bring deep expertise in nuclear diplomacy, are known for identifying weaknesses in opposing teams, and often use delay tactics to advance their goals — making a comprehensive deal within just 60 days a steep challenge.
A major variable in whether the interim agreement holds is the ongoing situation in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to confront Hezbollah. Iran, meanwhile, has called for Israel to withdraw its troops.
Trump appeared to take issue with Israel’s approach in Lebanon and suggested that Syria — currently led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and still working to stabilize after years of civil war — might be the right party to step in.
“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because to be honest, I think they do a better job of doing it,” Trump said.
