President Donald Trump declared victory on a Middle East accord while arriving at the G7 summit in France, announcing that the strait of Hormuz will be fully open starting Friday and that a nuclear agreement with Iran has been finalized. "The deal's all signed," Trump said, adding that Iran has committed to never obtaining nuclear weapons with "strong policing powers" to enforce the terms.
The president expressed broader optimism about the region, predicting "a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East" while noting oil prices are falling and stock markets climbing. The core achievement, Trump emphasized, was preventing Iran from developing nuclear capability, describing it as the essential objective of negotiations.
However, the claims outpace current reality. No formal peace deal has been signed, no nuclear agreement has been finalized, and the strait of Hormuz, which was unobstructed before Trump took office, is now heavily mined. Unresolved tensions linger: Israel has breached ceasefire terms in Lebanon repeatedly, and Iran contests whether it has the authority to charge transit fees through the crucial waterway. A memorandum of understanding is scheduled for formal signing at a Geneva ceremony Friday, with technical discussions led by Vice President JD Vance to begin later this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has noticeably distanced himself from the negotiations. Analysts note that none of his war objectives have materialized: regime change in Tehran has not occurred, and Iran's nuclear program remains intact. Netanyahu stopped short of denouncing the deal but declared Israel will maintain control over territory it currently occupies in Lebanon, signaling his government's independence from the broader agreement.
At the same G7 gathering, leaders are attempting to shore up flagging American commitment to Ukraine's defense. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to "choke off" Russian revenue through fresh sanctions and committed hundreds of millions of pounds toward Ukrainian energy support as US backing appears to waver.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's cheerleading for a deal that hasn't been signed and a strait that isn't actually open is classic mid-negotiation theater, but the details reveal how far apart everyone still is on what this agreement actually means."
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