Trump defends Iran’s right to ballistic missiles as White House publishes 14‑point preliminary peace deal

Trump on missiles

After arriving in Paris on Wednesday for a dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles, President Trump was pressed on his earlier remarks at the G7 summit in Evian‑les‑Bains, where he had downplayed the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic‑missile programme. Trump confirmed he is not opposed to Iran possessing such missiles. “If other countries have them, it would be a little unfair if they [Iran] did not have some,” he said, adding that Iran having missiles “in some proportion” would be “fine.” This contrasts sharply with the initial phase of the war, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials described degrading Iran’s missile arsenal as a primary war aim.

“I say that if other countries have them, it’s a little unfair if they don’t have some.”

The 14‑point Memorandum of Understanding

On the same day, senior Trump administration officials read out the full 14‑point preliminary agreement to journalists, after versions obtained by CNN and Bloomberg were deemed by the White House as not reflecting the actual memorandum. The document was digitally signed on Sunday by President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf. One official called it a “gentlemen’s agreement” from which either side may withdraw until a binding final accord is concluded. Trump himself stated the deal was “not yet final.”

Hormuz, uranium, and sanctions

The agreement provides for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the American blockade, as well as a temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil. Enriched uranium stocks are to be neutralised, at a minimum through down‑blending. Shipping through the Strait will be fee‑free during the 60‑day negotiation window, though the text opens the door to future fees after dialogue with Oman and other coastal states. Iran reaffirms it will “never produce a nuclear weapon,” but no concrete nuclear commitments are specified beyond that; the fate of enriched uranium is left to the final agreement.

A $300 billion reconstruction fund

A provision that has drawn considerable controversy is a commitment by the United States, together with regional partners, to design a comprehensive plan for Iran’s reconstruction and economic development, with financing of at least $300 billion. Trump separately denied that the US would pay Iran anything, insisting that frozen Iranian assets would be returned because otherwise “nobody would invest in the dollar any more.”

Israel, Ukraine, and trade

Trump acknowledged sending a copy of the agreement to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and thanked him for support, while noting occasional disagreements over attacks on Lebanon. “I tell him you can be a little gentler, you don’t have to knock down a building every time a Hezbollah person enters it,” he said. On Ukraine, Trump assessed that Kyiv is performing well on the battlefield and repeated that he might reimpose sanctions on Russian oil. He also admitted he would gladly get rid of the USMCA trade deal with Canada and Mexico, which may be allowed to expire in 2036 if no agreement on extension is reached.

“Whenever we talked about the possibility of peace, the stock market shot up like a rocket.”