US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, emphasized that Iran will absolutely not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Trump said, "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and it has accepted that 100 percent."
Trump suggested that if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon, it would use it "within the first hour," adding, "We will never allow that to happen." The US President argued that action against Iran was necessary because Tehran possessing a nuclear weapon would mean "the destruction of Israel and the Middle East and the world being placed in great danger."
Stating that they have dealt Iran "a very heavy blow," Trump said, "We are now negotiating with them from a position of absolute power." Trump claimed that the Iranian military, its command structure, and its air and naval forces were "100 percent destroyed within just a week and a half," and that 159 Iranian ships were sunk.
US agricultural products to be purchased for Tehran
Trump announced that some Iranian funds will be used to purchase large quantities of US wheat, soybeans, and corn for the benefit of Tehran. "The process of purchasing agricultural products for Iran will begin very soon, and I expect it to be quite large," Trump said, adding, "We have a new market in the beautiful country of Iran, which is struggling with food."
The US President said the Strait of Hormuz is open and reached its highest level ever the previous day with 19 million barrels of oil passing through. He noted that oil prices have experienced a sharp and significant decline, which will be followed by declines in the prices of all other products. Describing reports claiming Iran is in a better position today as "fake news," Trump said, "Iran desperately wants to make a deal with us. I think we will probably make a deal with them."
Joint message from Manama meeting
Meanwhile, the final communiqué of the Manama meeting, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Gulf counterparts, called for maintaining the momentum of negotiations to reach a final agreement preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Participants emphasized their rejection of any restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The communiqué noted the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, stating that unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation, guaranteed under international law, is essential for regional and global security. The meeting also welcomed Oman and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) beginning to implement a plan to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the region.
In his speech at the meeting, Rubio said Washington seeks a lasting peace with Iran, but not at the expense of the security and prosperity of its allies in the region. The ministers welcomed the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran on June 18 and the mediation efforts carried out by Pakistan and Qatar.
Temporary corridor from Oman and Iran's warning
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi stated that his country supports international efforts to ensure navigational safety in the Strait of Hormuz with a special sense of responsibility. Emphasizing that future arrangements do not include transit fees, Busaidi highlighted the importance of the success of the US-Iran agreement.
Oman announced last Wednesday that a temporary corridor for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz had been allocated in coordination with the IMO. However, the IMO suspended the evacuation plan after reporting that a British warship had been hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The IMO Director General announced that the plan would remain suspended until security guarantees are provided for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.
The news of the attack came hours after Iran threatened ships not to use a UN-approved route without Tehran's permission. Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated that announcing a new ship passage route through the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iran is "unacceptable and extremely dangerous," warning that necessary measures would be taken against violating vessels.
