WASHINGTON: Pre-war objectives abandoned, Iran’s power bolstered, tens of billions of dollars guzzled away: US media appear unanimous in condemning Donald Trump’s concessions to Iran in an agreement meant to end the war.
The US president put his signature to a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday at a candlelit dinner outside Paris, aiming to draw a line under the war which has engulfed the Middle East and rocked the global economy.
But Trump’s return to the United States on Thursday is set to bring him back to reality, with a barrage of criticism expected from both opponents and supporters of the war.
“The White House agreed to this ceasefire extension that met none of its prewar objectives while providing enormous financial concessions to Tehran,” said US TV network MS NOW.
“Now, the administration is desperately trying to argue otherwise. Quite simply, Trump got played by the Iranians, and no one is buying his spin job.”
“As a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, which mediated the agreement, said on X.
Under the text, Washington also commits to immediately waive oil sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
‘Huge’ benefits for Iran
The deal is only a temporary arrangement meant to give time for starting detailed negotiations on the far more complex issue of long-term control over the nuclear power ambitions of Iran, which Washington has long suspected of harboring a secret bomb-making program.
The agreement is “widely seen as the biggest foreign-policy bet of the president’s second term,” according to the Wall Street Journal, who noted Trump “will face resistance from Iran policy hawks who say the president is giving up far more than he is getting.”
Even the signing of the deal appeared to fall into disarray, with the business daily reporting that Trump inked the agreement for a second time on Wednesday night, surprising some of his aides and derailing plans for a signing ceremony later this week.
Fox News, the usually Trump-friendly news channel, cited critics who said the agreement gave Iran “huge financial benefits” without requiring the dismantlement of its nuclear program.
Once a final agreement is reached on the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, the United States will facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, according to the deal.
“President Donald Trump’s proposed Iran agreement is drawing sharp criticism from some of his strongest supporters, who argue the deal rewards Tehran before it has agreed to fully dismantle its nuclear program,” Fox said.
The network quoted British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who said the deal was “about as far removed from ‘unconditional surrender’ as any deal in the history of Planet Earth.”
