President Trump said the United States would resume bombing Iran if he did not like how the preliminary agreement was executed, hours after leaders from the Group of 7 nations called the deal a “breakthrough.” Share full articleImagePresident Trump and other leaders of the G7 countries in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday.Credit...Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times See more of our coverage in your search results.Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on GoogleAgrega The New York Times en Google Latest PinnedUpdated June 17, 2026, 9:23 a.m. ETLeo SandsErica L. GreenZolan Kanno-Youngs and Jeanna Smialek Here’s the latest.President Trump oscillated on Wednesday between praising the preliminary agreement with Iran as a “very strong deal” and threatening to resume bombing if he was unhappy with its implementation, hours after world leaders at the annual Group of 7 summit hailed it as a “breakthrough.” In remarks to reporters as he sat alongside President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt during the summit, Mr. Trump cast investors’ reaction as evidence of the deal’s success, then pivoted to escalatory language. “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,” he said. Mr. Trump, who has been fixated on proving that former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Iran deal was weaker than the one he is negotiating, became angry and used a denigrating term to characterize Iranian attitudes toward his predecessor. “They laughed at Obama, and they said he’s a stupid son of a bitch,” he said. Hours earlier, the G7 leaders issued a joint statement praising Mr. Trump’s leadership in securing the deal with Iran, as they gathered for the second full day of the summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, a resort town on the shores of Lake Geneva. The statement, an unexpectedly firm declaration of agreement among many of the world’s leading powers, said that the preliminary deal — the terms of which have not been released — between the U.S. and Iran provided a “historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon.” But amid uncertainty about what the deal entails, the leaders also noted that there must be “a robust and comprehensive diplomatic follow-on agreement” to the memorandum that top officials from the U.S. and Iran are expected to sign in Switzerland on Friday. In his remarks later, Mr. Trump appeared to say that no one knows what the deal entails. “Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong. Most people seem to be very happy,” he said, adding: “Who’s really happy is the market.” With its combination of caution and flattery directed toward the American president, the statement from G7 leaders captured the tone of this week’s summit on its final day. The gathering has been surprising so far for its cordiality, even as leaders tackle weighty and often contentious subjects. Mr. Trump has struck a friendly tone toward European leaders whom he has a history of mocking and criticizing, even praising President Emmanuel Macron of France and speaking enthusiastically about a dinner they are set to have Wednesday night at the Palace of Versailles, the lavish estate of French royalty. They, in turn, have showered him with compliments and even gifts. Yet the discussions have still been tense. The leaders from some of the world’s richest countries were discussing on Wednesday the global economy — a topic that is likely to include discussion of China — and the contentious question of how to regulate artificial intelligence. Support for Ukraine: Mr. Trump switched between apparent interest and indifference regarding the war. He said he planned to meet again with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine after a “very good” encounter. A.I. regulation: Wednesday’s scheduled discussion comes after the United States barred foreigners from using Anthropic’s most advanced models, surprising many in Europe. The leading American A.I. company said the government had cited national security concerns. G7 leaders discussed the global economy at their meeting today in Évian, and they have issued a joint statement on the topic. It calls for “a swift return to free and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz without any form of charges.” It also calls “on all countries to avoid arbitrary export restrictions.” China has over the last year restricted critical mineral exports, to the dismay of its trading partners. In Évian, global leaders are now lunching with the C.E.O.s and founders of some of the world’s biggest tech firms, including Anthropic and OpenAI. That discussion comes against a tense backdrop after America moved last week to cut off access to cutting-edge Anthropic models for foreign nationals. But Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, emphasized the room for future collaboration, saying that “the U.S. and E.U. need to be strong partners in A.I.” She seemed to allude to the American move, without directly referring to it. “It is in our mutual interest that our citizens and companies can safely use the best A.I. models,” she said, based on the text of her prepared remarks. Despite concluding his remarks with an angry rant about the Obama-era Iran deal — which is looming large ahead of Friday’s signing ceremony — Trump said that it has been a “great summit.” He said his preliminary deal with Iran has been “very well received” and everybody has been “very happy.” Trump also denied that the memorandum of understanding contained “immediate sanctions relief” for Iran. The president shook his head and said, “No.” When asked again, however, he said: “They have to behave well.” Trump continued to deny that the preliminary deal included a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, which reportedly would be paid by the Gulf States, but he indicated that he wouldn’t block such a provision. “It’s false,” Trump said. “You can invest if you want. What am I going to do, say no one is ever allowed to invest? We’re not investing, we’re not putting up 10 cents and people can decide to do it. That’s up to them.” President Trump, after praising the deal he just negotiated with Iran, indicated that the memorandum of understanding was not final, and if he was unhappy with how it was executed, he would resume bombings. “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,” he said. Trump became incensed when talking about former President Barack Obama’s Iran deal, which he has been fixated on proving is weaker than his deal, even before it was announced. During his remarks, he went on a rant repeating his claim that Obama gave Iran “$1.7 billion in cash” and then used an expletive to deride his predecessor. “And you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama, and they said he’s a stupid son of a bitch,” Trump said. Few issues animate Trump and other critics of the Obama-era deal as much as the U.S. shipment to Tehran of $1.7 billion in cash a few months after that nuclear deal was agreed upon, though it pales next to the at least $50 billion in Iranian foreign assets unfrozen under the agreement. President Trump, speaking to reporters before meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt during the last day of the G7 summit, just made two striking admissions about the yet-to-be released deal with Iran. One, that no one knows what it entails, and that his barometer of its success is the stock market. “It’s a very strong deal,” he said. “Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong. Most people seem to be very happy.” He added: “Who’s really happy is the market,” and that “there’s nothing so smart as the market.” Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, welcomed the deal that President Trump made with Iran, saying that “the U.S. action to prevent the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, and degrade its ballistic missile capability, improves security for us all.” The deal, he said carefully, “has created an opportunity to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.” Speaking in Brussels, he said that allies in NATO, led by Britain and France, are “ready to support” free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which “will be a massive step forward.” President Trump arrived at the first G7 working session of the day nearly an hour late, and upon entering the room complained that it was “too hot,” according to our correspondent, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, who is traveling with the president today. He also stood at the head of the table as he walked to his seat and said in jest, “I’m the boss.” The meeting is not open to the press, which Trump jokingly goaded the host country about. As he sat down, he said to cameras that were briefly allowed in: “Would you like to stay for the meeting? It’s OK with me.” But the French promptly escorted press out. World leaders are slowly arriving at the working session that was scheduled to start more than 30 minutes ago. Many of the leaders are huddling together before the start of meeting. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil could be heard on a hot mic chatting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany about election systems in Brazil and his own political record. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and appeared to tell him the leaders had a “record of delivering.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy could be seen huddling with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan. President Trump has not yet arrived. When it comes to Ukraine, the leaders’ statement pledges ”unwavering support.” It was unclear whether such a geopolitical statement could be agreed upon, so this marks something of a coup for European leaders. The fact that the U.S. signed onto a document with such a robust support for Ukraine is likely to be greeted as a huge win here in Évian-les-Bains. The G7 leaders have released a joint statement calling the announcement of a preliminary deal between the United States and Iran a “breakthrough” secured under the “strong leadership of President Trump.” It also states that a French- and British-led initiative can help to open the Strait of Hormuz for maritime traffic. Still, there’s a hint that there’s more work to be done: When it comes to the deal text, the statement says that leaders support a “follow-on” agreement and underscore “the need for the negotiation.” European leaders played nice with Trump on Tuesday.ImageWorld leaders including President Trump during a Group of 7 session on Tuesday at Évian-les-Bains, France.Credit...Haiyun Jiang/The New York TimesWhen Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany presented President Trump with a soccer jersey emblazoned with the number 47 on Tuesday morning, it was the kind of gesture that a foreign leader might have made during his first term: flattering, emollient, and calculated to please. But Mr. Merz was doing it after a rancorous stretch, in which he and other European leaders condemned the war in Iran, provoking Mr. Trump to announce that the United States would pull some American troops from the Continent. Europe’s alliance with the United States may still be on the rocks, but on the first full day of a Group of 7 summit meeting at this Alpine spa town in France, the leaders showed they remained ready to behave politely toward Mr. Trump.
Original Source: NYTimes
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