Speaking alongside Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday (16 Jun), US President Donald Trump said the central objective of the emerging US-Iran agreement was ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
“The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, arguing that the agreement states “loud and clear” that Tehran will not be permitted to “develop it”, “buy it” or otherwise obtain a nuclear weapon. He warned that any violation would bring “unbelievable consequences” and later added that “all hell will rain down” if Iran attempted to acquire one.
Trump also addressed relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rejecting suggestions of a breakdown between the two leaders and saying they had “a great relationship”. However, he criticised a recent Israeli strike that followed what he described as a relatively minor drone incident, saying the response was “vicious” and “too much”.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi,” Trump said, before adding that Netanyahu “has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon”.
The US president expressed dissatisfaction with Israel’s handling of the conflict with Hezbollah, arguing that military operations had dragged on for too long and had damaged broader diplomatic efforts in the region.
“I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah,” Trump said. “They should have been able to do this job faster. It just goes on forever.”
Trump argued that continued fighting risked undermining what he described as the “big deal” currently being pursued with Iran, suggesting that progress on regional stability and the Iran agreement were increasingly linked.
His remarks come as Washington and Tehran move towards a second phase of negotiations following a preliminary framework agreement reportedly signed earlier this week. The accord is expected to trigger further talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief and wider regional security arrangements.
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