Trump’s Iran deal delivers key gains for Tehran, Washington scrutiny

President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at criticism of the terms of the US-Iran interim peace deal, saying anyone who thinks he’s not being tough enough on Tehran is either “jealous, bad people or stupid.”

His comments came shortly after the United States and the Iranian president signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on extending the ceasefire to Lebanon and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The deal includes both sides committing to further talks to reach a final agreement within the next 60 days and includes a $300 billion plan to rebuild Iran as well as the lifting of “any” US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The deal has led some to conclude that the terms strengthen Tehran’s hand.

“These idiots who think I’m not being tough enough on Iran when the stock market is at record highs and oil prices are falling are either jealous, bad people, or idiots,” Trump said. in question on Thursday via the Truth Social platform.

The US stock market recently hit a new record high and oil prices fell on news of the Iran peace deal, but they remain significantly higher than pre-war levels.

Iranian leaders have generally sought to frame the agreement as a strategic victory. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the Memorandum of Understanding as an opportunity to solve Iran’s economic and political problems and said it could help create a “different world” in Iran and the Middle East.

“This is a historical document and a message from strong Iran: Peace will be realized under the shadow of mutual respect,” Pezeshkian said. in question In a social media post alongside images of the signed MOU.

“I think it’s fair to say that at least in terms of the 14-point plan, the language that was given to us was pretty positive or pretty positive towards Iran,” Amrita Sen, founder of Energy Aspects, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Thursday.

“There are still many details to be worked out. For example, the speed at which ships will be allowed, right?” Sen said he was referring to language in the MoU regarding the US lifting the naval blockade and Iran making arrangements for the safe passage of commercial ships.

Under the MoU, Iran says it will only allow commercial ships safe passage without tolls for 60 days. The country will then meet with other Gulf countries and hold talks with Oman “to define the future management and maritime services” of the Strait of Hormuz.

In justifying the interim peace deal with Iran, Trump reaffirmed his view that Tehran should never be able to obtain nuclear weapons.

But he said Iran should have the right to enrich uranium, have access to billions of dollars in frozen funds and be allowed to develop ballistic missiles. All of these issues are testing the Trump administration’s red lines so far.

The US president, who attended a meeting of G7 leaders in France, said he hoped the agreement would ensure peace across the region and reduce oil prices. He also threatened that attacks against Iran would resume if they did not fulfill their commitments.

“If you don’t comply with the agreement, I don’t want to do this, but we will bomb you,” Trump said at a press conference.

Trump’s interim deal with Iran has raised questions about whether his peace deal with Tehran is worth nearly four months of war. It has also invited comparisons to that of former US President Barack Obama. Nuclear agreement with Tehran.

Trump canceled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, adopted under the Obama administration in 2015, during his first term in office. to call As a US citizen, this is “embarrassing” for him.

To talk ABC News In an interview Sunday ahead of the announcement of the new deal, Obama said he was “doubtful” that any deal the Trump administration puts forward with Iran would be “significantly different” from the JCPOA.

Holger Schmieding, Berenberg’s chief economist, said the final decision depends on the full details of the framework agreement, but from what has been reported so far, Iran “has largely prevailed on most issues.”

In a research note Thursday, Schmieding said that although the Iranian regime suppressed an uprising in January by killing thousands of demonstrators, the Iran war actually appears to have strengthened rather than weakened the Revolutionary Guard’s grip on Iran.

He noted three geopolitical implications from the experience of the last 100 days.

Despite an intense bombing campaign, Schmieding said, “the United States failed to achieve some of its stated goals, including regime change in Tehran. This probably weakened the geopolitical standing of the United States.”

Schmieding said the conflict also shows how smaller powers with drones can thwart the military ambitions of larger powers, as in Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Third, just as the rise in oil prices temporarily filled Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war chest, the latest correction in oil prices will now hurt Moscow. “If the Strait of Hormuz is completely reopened, Russia’s financial situation will become unstable again,” Schmieding said. he said.

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., is focused on advancing diplomacy between the United States and Iran, explained The agreement was described on 28 February as “the most important diplomatic breakthrough since the start of the war”.

“Despite the growing momentum behind the agreement, its future remains uncertain,” NIAC said in a post published Wednesday. he said.

“While senior officials in both Tehran and Washington present the agreement as a way to end the conflict and open a new phase of diplomacy, it faces determined opposition from Israel, hardliners in Washington and a vocal group of Iranian hardliners,” the statement said.

Torbjorn Soltvedt, chief Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said Tehran will wield “significant influence” as negotiators turn to Iran’s nuclear program, the ballistic missile threat and support for armed groups in the wider region.

“Previous negotiations always carried an implicit threat to shipping and energy infrastructure, but the extent of disruption over the last three and a half months will strengthen Iran’s hand,” Soltvedt said in a research note published earlier this week.