Trump's Iran Deal: A Catastrophic Misstep or Just Bad Press?
President Donald Trump deflected criticism of his interim deal with Iran, attributing American skepticism to “bad press,” even after a Fox News reporter reminded him of his own 2020 assertion that Iran has “never lost a negotiation.”
During a G7 press conference, reporter Peter Doocy quoted Trump’s past words: “A wise man once said, ‘Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation.’”
Doocy pressed Trump on how he would convince the American public that the deal is a success.
Trump responded by claiming that Iran had lost militarily, suggesting this time is different.
He expressed frustration that regardless of the deal's outcome, some media outlets would label it a failure.
“No matter what I do, I’m going to get bad press,” he stated, referring to reporters who received a draft of the agreement after days of secrecy.
Trump highlighted a key aspect of the deal: reopening the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months. He emphasized the financial stakes, stating, “If we keep bombing, those ships won’t be going, and we’re talking about 500, 600, 700 million dollars a day. That’s a lot of money.”
The agreement also includes lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports and granting Iran access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund.
Essentially, the deal aims to return both sides to their pre-war positions.
Republican backlash has been swift, with several party members condemning the pact as a failure.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) labeled it “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades” on the social platform X.
He criticized the deal for failing to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and warned that Iran would leverage its threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz in the future. “Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal,” he added.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) questioned Trump’s advisors on the deal’s formulation.
“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal,” he remarked.
