Trump Says He Will Blame Vance if Iran Deal Fails, Sparking Diplomatic Controversy
U.S. President Trump said Wednesday that if a deal to end the war with Iran is not reached, he would be happy to place the blame on Vice President JD Vance.
"If the deal is reached, the credit goes to me. If it fails, I blame Vance," Trump joked, after a reporter suggested that by sending the vice president to sign the Iran deal in the coming days, Trump was setting up Vance as a scapegoat.
Trump made the remarks to reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, as a senior U.S. official read the text of a so-called memorandum of understanding with Iran to reporters in a separate briefing call, while two Republican senators harshly criticized the deal.
The agreement text requires Israel to immediately halt military operations in Lebanon, and Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within at least 60 days without charging tolls.
The memorandum of understanding, containing 14 separate clauses, includes a U.S.-Iran agreement aimed at addressing how to handle Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
One of the officials argued on the call that the U.S. currently has no urgent need to enter Iran to retrieve the material, because the U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities last summer was so successful that it buried the material deep underground.
"Thanks to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, those nuclear materials are buried very, very deep," the official said of the material the government had previously said it would remove. "Operation Midnight Hammer" refers to the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
Since launching the war on February 28, Trump has repeatedly argued that the U.S. needs to attack Iran again because the Islamic Republic poses an imminent threat of developing a nuclear weapon. But the senior official's suggestion that the nuclear material has been inaccessible since last year appears to undermine Trump's argument.
In his video address announcing the war, Trump said curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions was the reason for the attack.
"They were trying to rebuild their nuclear program and continue developing long-range missiles that now threaten our dear friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and soon could reach the U.S. homeland," he said at the time.
<\/figure>Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy posted on X that the deal is "the worst foreign policy mistake in decades."
"Iran's nuclear ambitions have not been contained; they have tasted the benefits of threatening the Strait of Hormuz and will surely try again," Cassidy said. "Now, under this deal, Iran can build new infrastructure. Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have spent billions extra on gas, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped."
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis told reporters on Capitol Hill: "Since the first kinetic strike, $100 billion has been spent. We lost two F-18s and several other aircraft. 13 dead. Several of our partners in the Middle East were attacked. 365 injured."
"I need more than 14 clauses," Tillis said.
Trump's comment about preferring to have Vance attend the signing ceremony came at the end of a press conference, when he gave the last question to Fox News' Peter Doocy, who noted he was already in Europe.
Doocy asked: "Why not stay until this Iran peace deal is signed?"
Trump replied: "I might." But Trump hinted he might not.
"It's a memorandum of understanding," Trump said. "It's very important, but it may not be the kind of document that should be signed by me."
Doocy continued: "There is a sense in this that you send the vice president, and if the deal goes well, sending him makes you look like a genius."
"If it doesn't go well, it's the vice president's fault?" Doocy asked.
Trump replied: "I like that idea."
"Yes, that way, if things work out, I get the credit. If not, I blame JD," Trump said.
"You better watch out, JD. He'll turn the plane around and get the hell out of here. Yes, I like that idea. I think it's a good idea," the president said.
Full Text of Memorandum of Understanding
A senior U.S. official read the text of the agreement to reporters in a background call Wednesday:
The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in good faith, have jointly reached the following agreement on a certain date:
1. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with its allies in this war, by signing this memorandum of understanding, declare an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts (including Lebanon), and commit from now on not to launch any war or military action against each other, to avoid mutual threats or use of force, and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement will confirm the permanent end of the war on all fronts (including Lebanon) and other provisions of this paragraph.
2. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs.
3. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiate and reach a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days (which may be extended by mutual consent).
4. Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the United States will immediately begin lifting the naval blockade and any interference or obstacles against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the volume of ship transits will be proportional to the pre-war transit volume of the Islamic Republic of Iran that is restored. The United States further commits to withdraw its forces from the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final agreement is reached.
5. Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make every effort to arrange for the safe passage of commercial vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, with no fees charged for the first 60 days only. Commercial vessel passage will begin immediately, and considering the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to clear technical and military obstacles and mines, it will return to normal within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will engage in dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman and consult with other Persian Gulf states along the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of the strait's coastal states, to determine the future management and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz.
6. The United States commits, together with regional partners, to develop a clear, mutually agreed plan for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with an amount of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism of this plan will be finalized within 60 days as part of the final agreement. All necessary licenses, exemptions, and permits for related financial transactions will be issued by the United States.
7. The United States commits to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including those under UN Security Council resolutions, International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions (including primary and secondary sanctions), according to the timeline agreed in the final agreement. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States acknowledge the extreme importance of the above termination of sanctions and express their intention to resolve these issues immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.
8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its commitment not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to address the disposition of enriched material stockpiles through a mechanism to be mutually agreed upon, which, based on the timeline described in paragraph 7, will minimally involve on-site dilution under IAEA supervision. The two sides also agree to discuss uranium enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear needs, on a satisfactory framework agreed in the final agreement. The final agreement will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the extreme importance of the above nuclear issues and express their intention to resolve them immediately in negotiations to reach mutual agreement.
9. Until a final agreement is reached, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status of its nuclear program, and the United States will not impose any new sanctions or deploy additional troops in the region.
10. The United States commits that, from the time of signing this memorandum of understanding until the lifting of sanctions, the U.S. Treasury will issue exemptions for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and their derivatives, as well as all related services (including banking transactions, insurance, shipping, etc.).
11. The United States commits to make fully available the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. After implementation of the memorandum of understanding, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree in negotiations on procedures for releasing these funds. Such funds, whether retained in original accounts or transferred, shall be fully available for payment to any final beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States commits to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations for this purpose.
12. The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to establish an implementation mechanism to monitor the successful implementation of this memorandum of understanding and future compliance with the final agreement.
13. Upon signing this memorandum of understanding, and subject to the commencement and continued implementation of the measures in paragraphs 14, 5, 10, and 11, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin negotiations on the final agreement regarding only the other paragraphs.
14. The final agreement will be endorsed by a binding UN Security Council resolution.
