« on: Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026 04:39 pm »
As deal takes force, Trump says ‘it’s okay’ for Iran to have some ballistic missilesUS president claims at G7 that additional strikes would have led to global economic catastrophe before again threatening to bomb the Islamic Republic if it doesn’t comply with deal
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed Iran should be allowed to keep some of its ballistic missiles, as he defended the signed memorandum of understanding between his administration and Tehran shortly before the deal entered into force.
“If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some,” Trump said in France, where he held a press conference on the sidelines of a G7 summit. “If Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and they all have some, I would say that in relative proportion, I think it’s okay” for Iran to have ballistic missiles as well.
“Missiles aren’t the problem… They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet (like nuclear weapons do),” Trump said.
Destruction of Iran’s missile program had been an aim on the same footing as others for Israel when it launched a war against the Islamic Republic alongside the US on February 28. While the US for weeks waffled on its own aims for the war, it has insisted throughout that Iran was attempting to use its missile program as a shield to make it impossible for other countries to prevent it from building a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s de-prioritization of the missile issue appeared to mark a shift for the US, though he did clarify that the program would be discussed in follow-on talks that the sides agreed to hold for the next 60 days.
Hours after Trump’s press conference, the Iranian foreign ministry announced that the text of the MOU had been “officially” signed by the presidents from both countries, which Trump confirmed following a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles.
A US official clarified to Reuters that Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed it after the memo was signed digitally on Sunday by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and witnessed by Trump.
“The text of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was finalized with the signatures of the presidents — now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.
Despite the signings, the US has refrained from officially releasing the text of the deal, leading to mounting criticism that it was trying to hide the terms..............
https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-deal-takes-force-trump-says-its-okay-for-iran-to-have-some-ballistic-missiles/
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Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly, do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:16-18
