TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments in Egypt were praised by leaders of participating countries for ending the war they have worked hard to maintain in recent months, but did not sit well with many around the world. Many people around the world, including Iranians, appear increasingly impatient with the president’s refusal to accept that Iran cannot be forced to make concessions through threats, sanctions, bombardment, and disingenuous messages of conciliation.
At Monday’s summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, where dozens of world leaders gathered to sign a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas (both delegates were absent), President Trump touched on a number of largely unrelated topics. He mentioned that he was escorted by EgyptAir before landing, called the Italian prime minister “beautiful”, insisted that only his opinion mattered and said he should have won the Nobel Peace Prize. But he did not address the core issue that drew everyone to North Africa: how the 20-point peace agreement he brokered between the Palestinians and Israel will be implemented in subsequent stages.
But he made remarks that reveal what the United States and Israel’s priorities are at the moment. “The important progress we celebrate here tonight is more than an end to the war in Gaza. With God’s help, it will be a new beginning for the entire beautiful Middle East,” President Trump said. “From this moment on, we can build a region that is strong, stable, prosperous and united to reject the path of terrorism once and for all.”
Before landing in Sharm al-Sheikh, President Trump spent several hours in the occupied territory, where he spoke more about Iran than about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Trump said in remarks in the Israeli parliament that he is ready to reach a new agreement with the Iranian government.
President Trump withdrew Iran from an international agreement on its nuclear program in 2018 and imposed harsh sanctions on the country. When Iran entered into negotiations with the second government earlier this year, during the diplomatic process it supported Israel’s attacks on Iran’s civilian, military and nuclear infrastructure, and later joined in the invasion itself. He is now seeking to further strangle Iran’s economy by interfering with trade through new means.
He told Zionist lawmakers: “We are always ready. It is the best decision Iran has ever made and it will happen. The hands of friendship and cooperation are open. I tell you, they (Iran) want a deal. It would be great if we could get a deal.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying Trump’s words were “totally inconsistent” with his actions. “How can we talk about peace while attacking the country’s residential areas and peaceful nuclear facilities and killing innocent people?” the ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.
President Trump also called Iran a “bully” while in the occupied territories and praised Iran for carrying out an illegal and unprecedented attack on its nuclear facilities.
“The bully of the Middle East has been defeated,” President Trump told Israel’s Fox News. “And I think it’s very likely that the Middle East bully will be a very different and very productive partner for many other countries than what it used to be.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s reaction was harsher than Iran’s initial response. Arraguchi said Trump is simply telling “a big lie.”
“It’s clear by now that the president has been fed a false story this spring that Iran’s peaceful nuclear program was on the verge of becoming a weapon. He should have been informed that it is just a big lie, and that there is zero evidence for it, as confirmed by his own intelligence community,” the top diplomat said in a statement posted to X.
“The president, the real bully in the Middle East, is the same parasite that has bullied and exploited America for so long,” he explained. In the United States, a growing number of critics believe that the White House is controlled by a powerful Israel lobby.
Araghchi also said it will be very difficult for Iranians to trust the United States again. “There is also the question of how the Iranian state can be expected to lend credence to an olive branch extended by the very hands responsible for shelling homes and offices across Iran just four months ago. It is highly unlikely that he can be branded a president of peace while provoking endless wars and collaborating with war criminals. Mr. Trump can be a president of peace and a president of war, but he cannot be both at the same time.”
Analysts believe Iran may retain much of its nuclear capabilities despite the attack, as the extent of the damage remains unclear. Moreover, the Iranians can restart their nuclear program at any time, as their domestic nuclear industry is self-sufficient. In a video message last month, Islamic revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khamenei told Iranians that the country has countless nuclear scientists and experts dedicated to the nation. He also said there would be no talks between Iran and the United States in the current situation, where the United States continues to threaten and impose sanctions on Iran, demanding negotiations that include its military and foreign policy.