Donald Trump served up mixed messaging at the G7 summit in France. The president claims he has brokered a ceasefire with Iran—but then threatened to obliterate them if they do not comply.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Trump made it clear that his "deal" is 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 right smack in the middle of their head," he said.
The agreement amounts to a promise to make an agreement.
Trump and his inner circle have been tight-lipped about what this deal contains. Vice President J.D. Vance said during an ABC News interview that it is not a fully-fledged deal—just a memorandum of understanding.
The skepticism is justified. Trump has claimed the Iran war is over or a deal is imminent dozens of times since launching military strikes in late February. The world has reason to take his latest announcement with caution.
Trump also attacked Barack Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and repeated the false claim that Obama handed Iran "billions" in cash as a "bribe." "They laughed at Obama and they said he's a stupid son of a bitch," Trump claimed.
Sources hint that the working deal might include a $300 billion "investment" and reconstruction fund for Iran—the kind of financial incentive Trump has mocked when other presidents offer it.
Trump's negotiation style alternates between peace talks and bomb threats. A ceasefire announcement followed by military threats is an unusual approach to securing a deal.
