Trump: "It Was Iran, Not the U.S., That Was Desperate... I Will Watch the 60 Days Until the End"

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on June 19 (local time) that the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war with Iran was driven by Iran's desperation, not the United States', as he continued to push back against criticism that the U.S. had made excessive concessions to Iran.

On his social media platform Truth Social that day, President Trump stated, "We were not desperate to meet. It was Iran that was desperate," adding, "They are finished!"

He continued, "We will watch the 60-day period until the end," asserting, "They will not get a single penny, not ten cents."

This is interpreted as a move to reiterate that any sanctions relief or economic benefits for Iran are contingent upon its compliance with the agreement with the U.S., while pressuring Iran to engage sincerely in the 60-day follow-up negotiations.

Although the U.S. and Iran agreed to continue follow-up negotiations through the MOU, the White House previously announced that Vice President JD Vance's scheduled visit to Switzerland for follow-up nuclear talks with Iran had been postponed.

There were also prior reports that the Iranian delegation had withheld their visit to Switzerland, citing Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon despite the bilateral ceasefire agreement.

In another post, President Trump wrote, "The war has weakened Iran," adding, "Now Iran has no air force, no navy, no air defense equipment, no radar, and practically nothing left."

He then remarked, "Yet the 'Dumocrats' (a derogatory term for Democrats) say Iran is in a better position now than it was four months ago," asking, "Do they think they can get away with saying that? How stupid do you have to be to say such things?"

This is seen as an attempt to defend the legitimacy of the agreement by highlighting the significant military and economic damage Iran suffered due to the war, countering domestic criticism that the deal is favorable to Iran by providing it with massive economic benefits.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.