Evian-les-Bains, France. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement reached this week with Iran was not final and that he could resume a bombing campaign if he did not approve of it. G7 leaders welcomed the interim deal while calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon and measures to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s remarks on the agreement
Trump described the arrangement as a memorandum of understanding during the G7 summit in France.
“It’s a memorandum of understanding. And if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head,” Trump said.
He added: “If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?”
G7 response to the interim deal
Leaders of the G7 countries demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon on Wednesday and said they would diversify energy supply routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz in response to the war in Iran, while welcoming the interim agreement to end it.
The leaders met for a summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, about an hour’s drive along the shore of Lake Geneva from where the memorandum is due to be signed at a ceremony across the Swiss border on Friday.
Path toward a final settlement
The U.S.-Iran agreement is expected to launch negotiations toward a final settlement to end the war, which has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.
“We underline the need for the negotiation … to address the threats posed by Iran in the region and beyond and ensure that they never obtain a nuclear weapon,” the leaders said in a statement.
Allied concerns and planned support
The summit gave Trump a chance to present his deal with Iran to allies Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
The countries share Washington’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues, but they never endorsed his decision to go to war and are concerned that Tehran has gained leverage by withstanding the U.S. assault and asserting control over the strait.
The leaders said they were ready to contribute to implementation of the accord, with a coalition led by Britain and France set to help secure shipping once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
