President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a memorandum of understanding with Iran is not final and warned of potential military strikes [1].
The statement introduces significant uncertainty regarding the stability of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran. By framing the current agreement as provisional, the president has linked the avoidance of renewed conflict directly to Tehran's future behavior.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France, Trump said the agreement is a memorandum of understanding rather than a finished deal [1]. He said that if he does not like the progression of the arrangement, the U.S. will return to military action [1].
"It's not final. It's a memorandum of understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head," Trump said [1].
The current memorandum consists of 14 paragraphs [4]. It includes a redevelopment package for Iran valued at $300 billion [4]. Despite these economic incentives, the president said that the U.S. is prepared to resume bombing if talks fail [2].
Trump said that the U.S. will resume bombing if Iran does not behave [3]. This warning comes amid conflicting reports regarding the timeline of the agreement. While some reports suggested the two nations might sign a deal as early as Thursday, the president's comments emphasize that the current status remains a preliminary understanding [1].
Trump said the U.S. will go back to dropping bombs if talks fail [2].
“"It's not final. It's a memorandum of understanding."”
The president's rhetoric signals a 'maximum pressure' approach combined with economic incentives. By labeling the 14-paragraph document as a memorandum rather than a final treaty, the U.S. maintains strategic flexibility to exit the agreement quickly. This approach places the burden of stability on Iranian compliance, suggesting that the $300 billion redevelopment package is contingent upon behavioral changes that the U.S. deems acceptable.
