Trump Says He Will Blame Vance If Iran Deal Fails

## Trump Says He Will Blame Vance If Iran Deal Fails President Trump said Wednesday that if the deal to end the war with Iran fails, he would happily blame Vice President JD Vance. "If the deal is done, credit goes to me. If not, I blame Vance," Trump joked, after a reporter suggested that sending the vice president to sign the Iran deal in the coming days was making Vance a scapegoat. Trump made the remarks at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, as a senior US official read the text of a so-called memorandum of understanding with Iran during a separate conference call with reporters, while two Republican senators harshly criticized the deal. ## Deal Text and Key Disputes The deal text requires Israel to immediately halt military operations in Lebanon, and Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within at least 60 days without charging tolls. Among the 14 separate clauses in the memorandum is a US-Iran agreement addressing how to handle the Islamic Republic of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. One official argued on the call that the US does not currently have an urgent need to enter Iran to retrieve these materials, because last summer's US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities was so successful that it buried the materials deep underground. "Due to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, these nuclear materials are buried very, very deep," the official said of the materials the administration had said it wanted to remove. Operation Midnight Hammer refers to the US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. Since launching the war on February 28, Trump has repeatedly argued that the US needs to strike Iran again because the Islamic Republic poses a threat of imminent nuclear weapons development. But the senior official's suggestion that the materials have been inaccessible since last year seemed to undermine Trump's argument. In a video address announcing the war, Trump said containing Iran's nuclear ambitions was his reason for the attack. "They are trying to rebuild their nuclear program and continue developing long-range missiles that now threaten our dear friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and soon could reach the US mainland," he said at the time. ## Republican Senators Criticize the Deal Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana posted on X that the deal was "the worst foreign policy mistake in decades." "Iran's nuclear ambitions have not been contained; they have tasted the benefits of threatening the Strait of Hormuz and will do it again," Cassidy said. "Now, under this deal, Iran can build entirely new infrastructure. Before the war, the Strait was open, Iran was crippled by sanctions, and 13 service members were alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have spent billions more on gas, sanctions will be lifted, and bombing has stopped." Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told reporters on Capitol Hill: "Since the first kinetic strike, $100 billion has been spent. We lost two F-18s and several other aircraft. 13 dead. Several of our partners in the Middle East were attacked. 365 wounded." "I need more than 14 clauses," Tillis said. ## Trump on Sending Vance to Sign the Deal Trump's comment about preferring Vance to attend the signing ceremony came at the end of the press conference. He gave the final question to Fox News' Peter Doocy, who mentioned that he himself was already in Europe. Doocy asked: "Why not stay to sign the Iran peace deal?" Trump replied: "I might." But Trump hinted he might not. "It's a memorandum of understanding," Trump said. "It's very important, but it may not be the kind of document I should sign." Doocy continued: "The implication is that you send the vice president; if the deal goes through, it makes you look brilliant for sending him." "If it doesn't, it's the vice president's fault?" Doocy asked. Trump answered: "I like that idea." "That's right. That way, if it works, credit goes to me. If not, I blame JD," Trump said. "You better watch out, JD. He'll turn the plane around and get the hell out of here. Yes, I like that idea. I think it's a good idea," the president said. ## Full Text of the Memorandum of Understanding ### Full Text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran (Islamabad) A senior US official read the deal text during a background conference call with reporters Wednesday — The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, acting in good faith, have reached the following agreement on a certain date: - 1. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with its allies in this war, by signing this memorandum of understanding, declare an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts (including Lebanon), and commit from now on not to wage any war or military action against each other, to avoid mutual threats or use of force, and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement will confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts (including Lebanon), as well as other provisions of this paragraph. - 2. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs. - 3. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days (extendable by mutual consent). - 4. Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the United States will immediately begin to lift the maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic of Iran and any interference or obstacles, and fully end the maritime blockade within 30 days. During this period, vessel traffic will be proportional to the pre-war traffic levels of the Islamic Republic of Iran as they are restored. The United States further commits to withdraw its forces from the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final agreement is reached. - 5. Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make every effort to arrange for the safe passage of commercial vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, without charging any fees for the first 60 days. Commercial vessel traffic will begin immediately and, considering the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to remove technical and military obstacles and clear mines, will return to normal within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will engage in dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman and consult with other Persian Gulf states along the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of the coastal states, to determine the future management and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz. - 6. The United States commits, together with regional partners, to develop a clear, mutually agreed plan for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with an amount of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism of the plan will be finalized within 60 days as part of the final agreement. All necessary licenses, exemptions, and permits for related financial transactions will be issued by the United States. - 7. The United States commits to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran according to the timeline agreed in the final agreement, including UN Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral US sanctions (including primary and secondary sanctions). The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States acknowledge the extreme importance of the aforementioned termination of sanctions and express their intention to immediately resolve these issues in negotiations to reach mutual agreement. - 8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to address the disposition of the enriched material stockpile through a mechanism to be jointly agreed upon by both parties. This mechanism will follow the timeline described in paragraph 7, with the minimum approach being on-site dilution under IAEA supervision. The parties also agree to discuss uranium enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the nuclear needs of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on a satisfactory framework to be agreed in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the extreme importance of the aforementioned nuclear issues and express their intention to immediately resolve these issues in negotiations to reach mutual agreement. - 9. Pending the final agreement, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status of its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose any new sanctions or deploy additional troops in the region. - 10. The United States commits that, from the signing of this memorandum of understanding until the lifting of sanctions, the US Treasury will issue exemptions for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, as well as all related services (including banking, insurance, transportation, etc.). - 11. The United States commits to make fully available the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After the implementation of the memorandum of understanding, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will jointly agree in negotiations on procedures for the release of these funds. Such funds, whether retained in original accounts or transferred, shall be fully available for payment to any final beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States commits to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations for this purpose. - 12. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to establish an implementation mechanism to oversee the successful implementation of this memorandum of understanding and future compliance with the final agreement. - 13. After the signing of this memorandum of understanding, and subject to the initiation and continued implementation of the measures in paragraphs 14, 5, 10, and 11, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin negotiations on the final agreement only regarding the other paragraphs. - 14. The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution. Editor: Ding Wenwu