Trump on Iran Deal: Blame Vance if It Fails

US President Trump said Wednesday he would be happy to blame Vice President JD Vance if a deal to end the war with Iran falls short.

"If the deal is done, credit goes to me. If it's not, I'll blame Vance," Trump joked after a reporter suggested Trump was making Vance a scapegoat by sending him to sign the Iran deal in the coming days.

Trump made the remarks to reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, as a senior US official read aloud the text of a so-called memorandum of understanding with Iran in a separate conference call with reporters, while two Republican senators blasted the deal.

The deal text demands Israel immediately halt military operations in Lebanon and that Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz for at least 60 days without charging tolls.

The 14-clause MOU includes a US-Iran agreement on how to handle Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

One official argued on the call that the US has no urgent need to enter Iran to retrieve the materials because the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities last summer was so successful that it buried them deep underground.

"Due to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, these nuclear materials are buried very, very deep," the official said of materials the administration had said it would remove. Operation Midnight Hammer refers to the US strike on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025.

Since launching the war on Feb 28, Trump has repeatedly argued the US needs to strike Iran again because the Islamic Republic poses a near-term threat of developing a nuclear weapon. But the senior official's suggestion that the materials have been inaccessible since last year appeared to undercut Trump's argument.

In his video address announcing the war, Trump said curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions was why he launched 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 soon could reach the US mainland," he said then.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana posted on X that the deal is "the worst foreign policy mistake in decades."

"Iran's nuclear ambitions are unchecked, they have tasted the benefits of threatening the Strait of Hormuz and will do it again," Cassidy said. "Now, under this deal, Iran can build new infrastructure. Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was choked by sanctions, and 13 service members were alive. Now, 13 Americans dead, families spending billions more on gas, sanctions will be lifted, and bombing has stopped."

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told reporters on Capitol Hill: "Since the first kinetic strike, $100 billion has been spent. We've lost two F-18s and several other aircraft. 13 dead. Several of our partners in the Middle East have been attacked. 365 wounded."

"I need more than 14 clauses," Tillis said.

Trump's statement that he would rather have Vance attend the signing ceremony came at the end of a press conference, when he gave the last question to Peter Doocy of Fox News, who noted he was already in Europe.

Doocy asked: "Why not stay until this Iran peace deal is signed?"

Trump replied: "I might." But Trump suggested he might not.

"It's a memorandum of understanding," Trump said. "It's very important, but maybe not the kind of document I should sign."

Doocy continued: "There's a sense that you send the VP; if the deal gets done, it works out well, sending him makes you look like a genius."

"If it doesn't, it's the VP's fault?" Doocy asked.

Trump replied: "I like that idea."

"Yeah, so if it works, credit to me. If not, I'll blame JD," Trump said.

"You better watch out, JD. He'll turn the plane around and get the hell out of here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think it's a good idea," the president said.

Full Text of the MOU

A senior US official read the text of the agreement to reporters in a background call Wednesday: The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in good faith, hereby agree on a certain date as follows:

1. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies in this war, by signing this MOU, declare an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and commit from now on not to wage any war or military action against each other, to avoid mutual threats or use of force, and to ensure Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty. 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 to 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 naval blockade and any interference or obstacles against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, vessel traffic will be proportional to the restored pre-war traffic 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 every effort to arrange for safe passage of commercial vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, charging no fees for the first 60 days. Commercial vessel traffic will begin immediately, taking into account the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to remove technical and military obstacles and clear mines, and will return to normal within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will engage in dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman and consult with other Persian Gulf states bordering the Strait of Hormuz to determine future management and maritime services of the Strait, in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of strait states.

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 an amount of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism 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 US 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 address these issues immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.

8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the issue of disposal of enriched material stockpiles based on a mutually agreed mechanism, which, following the timeline in paragraph 7, will minimally involve on-site dilution under IAEA supervision. The two parties also agree to discuss uranium enrichment and other mutually agreed issues related to Iran's nuclear needs based on a satisfactory framework to be agreed in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of 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 address these issues immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.

9. Until the final agreement, 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 signing of this MOU until sanctions are lifted, the US Treasury will issue exemptions for Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and their derivatives, as well as all related services (including banking transactions, 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 jointly agree on procedures for releasing these funds during negotiations. Such funds, whether kept in original accounts or transferred, will be fully available for payment to any ultimate 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 monitor successful implementation of this MOU and future compliance with the final agreement.

13. After this MOU is signed and upon the commencement and continued implementation of the measures in paragraphs 14, 5, 10, and 11, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin negotiations on the final agreement regarding other paragraphs.

14. The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution.