US President Donald Trump has claimed that the ongoing conflict with Iran has ended and Tehran has agreed not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons, Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera reported on Friday (June 12).
“I don’t know if you heard, but we ended the war with Iran today. They agreed to never have a nuclear weapon, and that was our main condition,” Trump said at a televised rally in support of Senate candidate Barry Moore.
He also said at the same event, “Today we reached an agreement with Iran. We made a great deal. There will be no nuclear weapons there. Very soon people will start returning home. Almost everything is done. We got everything we wanted.”
It should be noted that just hours earlier, Trump had warned of more severe military action against Iran. However, he later said that the planned new airstrikes had been postponed due to progress in high-level talks with Tehran.
According to Trump, the draft of the memorandum of understanding is almost final and it could be signed in Europe this weekend. He claims that the main purpose of the agreement is to permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. If the agreement comes into force, the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will also be lifted.
However, contrary to Trump’s optimistic statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that while there was progress in the talks, no final agreement had yet been reached. In a statement on state television, the ministry spokesman accused the United States of raising additional demands and said, “Washington is adding new conditions during the talks.”
Meanwhile, both the United States and Iran have praised Qatar’s role as a mediator in the talks. Trump said the issue has also been discussed with regional allies in the Middle East.
The signs of a de-escalation in the conflict also saw positive reactions in international markets. Brent crude oil prices fell below $90 per barrel. At the same time, the US stock market also ended trading on a positive note.
Source: Al Jazeera, BBC