President Trump says US will continue bombing Iran if deal is violated
President Donald Trump told reporters at the G7 summit that he would continue bombing Iran if it did not comply with the deal with the United States.
On Wednesday, June 17, the text of an interim agreement between the two countries was shared with reporters by U.S. officials, taking a major step toward ending the U.S.-Iranian war.
The deal, scheduled to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday, June 19, provides for sanctions relief for Iran and calls for the creation of a $300 billion economic development fund.
The deal also ends all related hostilities, including in Lebanon, and begins reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, with the US lifting the blockade and Iran working to ensure “free passage of commercial shipping.”
President Donald Trump and other world leaders have welcomed the deal between the United States and Iran. But the deal drew mixed reactions among lawmakers on both sides.
“Reagan is rolling over in his grave.”
Despite President Trump saying the deal would bring “peace and security” to the Middle East, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) was less impressed with the deal, calling it “the worst foreign policy failure in decades.”
“President Reagan is turning over in his grave,” Cassidy said in a June 17 post on X. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions are unchecked and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz is effective and will no doubt take advantage of it in the future.”
On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called the deal a “total surrender” hours before it was read to reporters on Wednesday.
“Iran will get sanctions relief, unfrozen funds, oil export capacity, and a $300 billion recovery fund. The United States will get another vague promise that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. It is hard to imagine a more complete capitulation,” Schiff said in X.
The recovery fund Schiff referred to revolves around a private fund that gives Iran $300 billion for development, a move that has drawn opposition from several conservative lawmakers.
President Trump said at the Group of Seven summit in France that the United States has taken millions of dollars from Iran over the years and that “at some point” the United States will have to return frozen assets.
“We took their money. It’s not our money,” Trump told reporters. “It’s their money, and we froze it. At some point, I think we’re going to have to give it back.” President Trump also argued that failing to return Iran’s frozen assets could cause countries to stop investing in the U.S. dollar.
Benefits for the United States
Not all reactions to the deal were negative. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said in a post on X that the deal would benefit the United States and lead to “economic stability.”
“After this discussion, my opinion is that as long as the Strait of Hormuz begins to open and hostilities with Iran cease, it is beneficial for the United States to sign an MOU,” Graham said.
What did Barack Obama say about the deal?
In an interview with ABC News over the weekend, former President Barack Obama said it was “doubtful” that a deal could be reached that would significantly improve the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, widely known as the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, agreed during the Obama administration, provided Iran with significant relief from international sanctions in exchange for long-term restrictions on its nuclear materials.
President Obama’s comments came before the Trump administration announced a framework aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s vital shipping route.
President Trump withdrew from the Obama deal in 2018, calling it a “horrible” unilateral deal that did not bring “peace” or peace.
USA TODAY’s Francesca Chambers, Christopher Cann, Natalie Neysa Alund and Bart Jansen contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
