Trump vows 'ultimate consequences' for Iran violations for reneging on ending nuclear aspirations
President Donald Trump, delivering tough talk at the G7, warned Iran to fully comply with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and permanently give up its nuclear weapons aspirations for lasting peace.
Trump warns Iran of ‘ultimate consequences’ if regime obtains nuclear weapon
President Donald Trump warned Iran would face "ultimate consequences" if the regime obtains a nuclear weapon, saying during a G7 news conference that Tehran “will not” be allowed to develop, purchase or otherwise acquire one.
“And if they do, they suffer unbelievable consequences,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with Qatar early Tuesday morning. “Not just a little bit — I won’t even tell you the consequences, but the consequences are the ultimate consequences.”
Trump said the issue was central to his memorandum of understanding on Iran, stressing that the agreement language had to go beyond barring Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“They will not develop, purchase, buy or any other thing,” Trump said. “They’re not going to acquire a nuclear weapon. If they do, all hell will rain down on them.”
The president added that he hopes the U.S. can have “a very good relationship” with Iran, but said preventing the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the priority.
Trump vows ‘word by word’ reading of the Iran MOU to combat 'fake news'
President Donald Trump has rebuked "fake news" reports of a payoff for Iran to give up its nuclear weapons aspirations, but now he vows to read his lips: "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."
Trump said Tuesday he wants to release the Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) officially and may hold a press conference to read it aloud to ensure what he called accurate coverage.
“I will actually not only release it, I’ll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word, so that the press covers it accurately,” Trump at the G7 during a bilateral meeting.
Trump called the MOU “a very important document” and contrasted it with the Obama-era JCPOA.
“Mine is a wall against a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “He paid a fortune for it. We pay nothing.”
Trump says ships are moving again, expects Strait of Hormuz fully open by Friday
President Donald Trump said ships are beginning to move again and predicted the Strait of Hormuz oil shipping would be “fully opened by Friday.”
“The ships are starting to move now,” Trump said at a bilateral meeting Tuesday at the G7. “We’re going to have it fully opened by Friday. The ships are starting to move nicely.”
Trump also said oil is beginning to move and prices are “coming down rapidly,” while pointing to gains in the stock market.
“Most importantly, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “That was how I got involved in this. We can’t let that happen.”
CENTCOM shows USS Delbert D. Black replenishment in Arabian Sea
U.S. Central Command said the USS Delbert D. Black completed a vertical replenishment-at-sea with the USNS John Lewis while transiting the Arabian Sea on June 15.
The operation allows sailors to receive supplies, mail and other needed items without the ship having to pull into port, according to CENTCOM.
The update comes as U.S. naval assets continue operating in the region amid heightened Middle East tensions before a potential memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony Friday.
Trump signals Ukraine peace is next, meets with Zelenskyy at G7
President Donald Trump said he had a “good meeting” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging Russia to move toward a deal to end the war.
"Ukraine is losing a lot of people," Trump lamented at the bilateral meeting with Qatar at the G7 on Tuesday morning in France.
"So, yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can."
Trump added, “Russia should make a deal.”
“Russia’s lost tremendous amounts of people, and so has Ukraine,” he continued.
“I don’t like to see 25,000 young people die every month,” Trump said. “The whole thing is ridiculous.”
Trump said he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, after making peace in the Middle East, the U.S. would now turn more focus toward the war in Ukraine.
Iran slaughter of protesters 'took place during the first and second regimes' more, Trump says
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has discussed Iran’s killing of its own people, calling the killing of the regime protesters “a terrible thing.”
“We talked to them about it,” Trump said at a bilateral meeting with Qatar.
"The majority of that took place during the first and second regimes, much more so than them. It was much more severe, but it's a terrible thing."
Trump said the U.S. is dealing with Iranian officials he described as “very rational people,” adding that they were “strong” and “smart” during negotiations.
"The first group, they're all dead; the second group, they're dead," Trump said. "A part of the third group is gone. And we're dealing with people that I think are very rational people, and they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people.
"I think actually they're smarter than the first and second group, but they're not radicalized and they're, you know, looking to help their country."
Trump said he was not focused on regime change, arguing that past efforts have failed.
“I never cared about regime change,” Trump said. “I’ve watched regime changes for years. They never work.”
Trump: Netanyahu must be ‘more responsible’; 'don't knock down' a building looking for someone
President Donald Trump said he is not frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but criticized Israel’s handling of Lebanon and Hezbollah.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump during a bilateral meeting with Qatar.
Trump said he was “not happy” with the way Israel has handled the situation, saying the conflict “goes on forever” and creates complications for broader regional diplomacy.
“When you ask me about Bibi, an unbelievable relationship,” Trump said, while adding that Israel “would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved.”
Israel's campaign to root out Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon pales in comparison to the threat of a nuclear Iran.
"I consider that the minor war – Iran the big one – but we have that a little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that's Hezbollah," Trump said.
"And I'll tell you what, Israel's fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed.
"And you don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they're not all Hezbollah that I can tell you."
Trump praises Qatar on 'front line' of Iran war, touts major investment in US
President Donald Trump praised Qatar for its handling of recent tensions in the region, saying the country was “really on the line” amid the closure of the Hormuz Strait and the Iran war.
“We’re very, very impressed with Qatar and the way they’ve handled things,” Trump said. “They were in the front line.”
Trump also said Qatar is expected to make major investments in the United States.
“Qatar is going to be investing much more than $1 trillion in the United States,” Trump said. “Qatar has been a great investor.”
Trump said the U.S. has “the hottest country in the world right now” and credited Qatar with helping strengthen investment ties.
Trump: Iran ‘would have done tremendous damage’ under Obama nuclear deal
President Donald Trump said Iran would have posed a greater threat had the U.S. not withdrawn from the Obama-era nuclear deal, arguing the agreement put Tehran on a path toward obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s a big thing,” Trump said at a bilateral meeting with Qatar. “If they had a nuclear weapon, they would have blown up Israel. They would have blown up the Middle East, and they probably would have taken a shot at us.”
Trump said canceling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) prevented Iran from doing “tremendous damage.”
“You would have had them having a nuclear weapon five years ago,” Trump said. “That expired. That was a road to a nuclear weapon.”
Trump beats back 'fake news': US is ‘not investing any money’ in Iran deal
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is “not investing any money” in an Iran deal, despite what he has rebuked as "fake news" reports of a payoff in the yet-to-be released memorandum of understanding (MOU).
“We can talk about the Iran deal all day long, and we’re not investing any money,” Trump said at a bilateral G7 meeting with Qatar. “We have the right to if we want, but we’re not investing any money.”
Trump said he is not going to repeat former President Barack Obama’s mistakes in his handling of Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations.
"We didn't pay for it like Obama did: He paid billions of dollars," Trump added. "He paid $1.7 billion from an airplane, all green cash. He was crazy, I watched that, I couldn't believe it.
"But the one thing that's happening that's of note, frankly, the only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear. They're not going to develop it. They're not going to buy it. They're not going to do anything with it."
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