Trump says deal with Iran set to be signed Sunday

Trump calls new agreement the 'opposite' of Obama-era nuclear deal, says it will serve as a 'barrier' against nuclear weapons; warns of 'last resort' option if process goes awry

President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal with Iran — aimed at ending the war and addressing other issues — is set to be signed Sunday local time.

Writing on his Truth Social account Saturday, Trump said the agreement would be signed and added that "immediately after signing, the Strait of Hormuz will be open to everyone."

Trump sharply criticized the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal struck under the Barack Obama administration that he voided during his first term, calling it "an easy, beautiful, smooth road to nuclear weapons." He then said the new agreement would be "the exact opposite — it will be a barrier to obtaining nuclear weapons."

He went on to say that "Iran no longer wants nuclear weapons and will not have them through purchase, development, or any other form of acquisition," adding that "our relationship with Iran will be much different, and better, than that of previous administrations."

Trump also said no money would change hands under the new deal, contrasting it with "the hundreds of billions of dollars, including $1.7 billion in cash" that the Obama administration paid to Iran.

Trump said that at an appropriate time, once the situation has stabilized, US forces would go in and retrieve what he called "nuclear dust" — highly enriched uranium buried deep inside granite mountains — thanks to the country's B-2 bombers and skilled pilots, and then dilute or destroy it, whether in Iran or the United States.

He said he looked forward to working with Iran and the broader Middle East, expressing hope that "this process will go fast, easy and smoothly." He warned, however, that "if it doesn't, we have a last resort that we never want to use again."

Trump did not provide specific details on how the deal would be signed.

Axios reported that the United States and Iran, along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar, are expected to hold a video conference Sunday and electronically sign a memorandum of understanding that would extend a truce by 60 days, open the Strait of Hormuz, and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

pink@heraldcorp.com