Trump Says If Iran Deal Fails, He'll Blame Vance
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would be happy to blame Vice President JD Vance if a deal to end the war with Iran falls through.
"If the deal gets done, I take credit. If it doesn't, I'll blame Vance," Trump quipped, after a reporter suggested that sending his VP to sign the Iran deal in the coming days was making Vance a scapegoat.
Trump's comments to reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, came as a senior U.S. official separately read aloud to reporters the text of the so-called Memorandum of Understanding with Iran during a conference call, while two Republican senators blasted the deal.
The text calls for an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz — with no tolls — for at least 60 days.
The 14-point MOU includes a U.S.-Iran agreement aimed at resolving how to handle the Islamic Republic's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
One of the officials argued on the call that there is no pressing need for the U.S. to enter Iran to retrieve those materials, because last summer's U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities was so successful that the materials are deeply buried underground.
"Due to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, these nuclear materials are buried very, very deep," the official said of the nuclear materials the administration had said it would remove. Operation Midnight Hammer refers to the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
Since launching the war on February 28, Trump has repeatedly argued that the U.S. needs to strike Iran again because the Islamic Republic posed an imminent nuclear weapons threat. But the senior official's suggestion that those nuclear materials have been inaccessible since last year appeared to undercut Trump's argument.
In a video speech announcing the war, Trump said curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions was his reason for launching the attack.
"They tried to rebuild their nuclear program and continue developing long-range missiles that now threaten our dear friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the U.S. homeland," he said at the time.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, posted on X that the deal was "the worst foreign policy blunder in decades."
"Iran's nuclear ambitions are not contained, they have tasted the power of threatening the Strait of Hormuz and will surely do it again," Cassidy said. "Now, under this deal, Iran can build new infrastructure. Before the war, the Strait was open, Iran was crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families are spending billions more on gas, sanctions will be lifted, and bombing has stopped."
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, told reporters on Capitol Hill: "Since the first kinetic strike, it's $100 billion. We lost two F-18s and several other aircraft. 13 dead. Several of our partners in the Middle East were attacked. 365 wounded."
"I need more than 14 clauses," Tillis said.
Trump's remarks about preferring to let Vance attend the signing ceremony came at the very end of a press conference, when he gave the last question to Fox News' Peter Doocy, who noted he was already in Europe.
Doocy asked: "Why not stay to sign this Iran peace deal?"
Trump replied: "I might." But Trump suggested he might not.
"It's a memorandum of understanding," Trump said. "It's very important, but probably not the kind of document I should sign."
Doocy then said: "There's this idea that you send the Vice President; if the deal gets done and it's good, it makes you look like a genius for sending him."
"If it doesn't get done, it's the Vice President's fault?" Doocy asked.
Trump replied: "I like that idea."
"Yeah, that way, if it works, I take credit. If it doesn't, I blame JD," Trump said.
"You better watch out, JD. He'll turn the plane around, get the hell out of there. Yeah, I like that idea. I think it's a good idea," the president said.
Full Text of Memorandum of Understanding
Full text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamabad
A senior U.S. official read the text of the agreement to reporters in a background call Wednesday —
The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, acting in good faith, have reached the following agreement as of [date]:
1. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, together with its allies in this war, declare an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, by signing this MOU, and commit from now on not to wage any war or military action against each other, refrain from mutual threats or use of force, and ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement will confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph.
2. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs.
3. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days (extendable by mutual consent).
4. Upon signing this MOU, the United States will immediately begin lifting the maritime blockade and any interference or obstacles against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the maritime blockade within 30 days. During this period, vessel traffic will be proportional to the restored pre-war traffic level of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States further commits to withdraw its troops from the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final agreement.
5. Upon signing this MOU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make its best efforts to arrange for safe passage of commercial vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with no charges for the first 60 days only. Commercial vessel traffic will begin immediately, considering the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to remove technical and military obstacles and demine, and will be normalized within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will hold talks with the Sultanate of Oman and consult with other Persian Gulf states bordering the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of the Strait's coastal states, to determine the future management and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz.
6. The United States commits, together with regional partners, to develop a clear, mutually agreed plan for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a value of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism of this plan will be finalized within 60 days as part of the final agreement. All necessary licenses, exemptions, and permits for related financial transactions will be issued by the United States.
7. The United States commits to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran according to the timeline agreed in the final agreement, including UN Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all U.S. unilateral sanctions (including primary and secondary sanctions). The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States recognize the extreme importance of the above termination of sanctions and express their intention to resolve these issues immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.
8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of enriched material stockpiles based on a mechanism to be mutually agreed, which, in accordance with the timeline described in paragraph 7, will involve on-site dilution under IAEA supervision as a minimum method. The two sides also agree to discuss uranium enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear needs on a satisfactory framework agreed in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm this paragraph. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran recognize the extreme importance of the above nuclear issues and express their intention to resolve these issues immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.
9. Until the final agreement is reached, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status of its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose any new sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region.
10. The United States commits that, from the time of signing this MOU until sanctions are lifted, the U.S. Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and their derivatives, as well as all related services (including banking, insurance, transportation, etc.).
11. The United States commits to make fully available the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After implementation of the MOU, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree in negotiations on procedures for releasing these funds. Such funds, whether retained in existing accounts or transferred, shall be fully available for payment to any final beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States commits to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations.
12. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to establish an implementation mechanism to oversee the successful implementation of this MOU and future compliance with the final agreement.
13. After signing this MOU, and subject to the commencement and continued implementation of measures in paragraphs 14, 5, 10, and 11, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin final agreement negotiations on the other paragraphs only.
14. The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution.
Editor: Ding Wenwu
