EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a newly reached ceasefire agreement with Iran remains conditional and warned that the United States could resume military strikes if Tehran fails to comply with the terms of the arrangement.
Speaking during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Trump described the agreement as a “memorandum of understanding” rather than a final peace settlement and said its continuation would depend on Iran’s behavior during upcoming negotiations.
“If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head,” Trump said, according to Reuters. He added that the United States could quickly resume air strikes if Iran failed to meet expectations under the agreement.
The remarks came as G7 leaders welcomed an interim diplomatic framework between Washington and Tehran that aims to reduce tensions and create a pathway toward a broader settlement of the conflict. In a joint statement, leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States emphasized the need for negotiations that would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and address broader security concerns in the Middle East.
The memorandum of understanding, reached this week, extends a ceasefire first announced in April by an additional 60 days to allow further negotiations. While the full text of the agreement has not been publicly released, officials have described it as a framework for talks aimed at achieving a more permanent settlement.
According to Reuters, the conflict has resulted in more than 7,000 deaths, most of them in Iran and Lebanon. Despite the ceasefire extension, several major issues remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear program, its stockpile of enriched uranium, ballistic missile capabilities, and support for regional armed groups such as Hezbollah.
G7 leaders said they are prepared to support implementation of any final agreement. Britain and France are expected to lead efforts to help secure international shipping routes once conditions in the Strait of Hormuz stabilize. The strategic waterway is a critical corridor for global energy supplies and has been a major concern throughout the conflict.
The summit also focused on reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz by diversifying energy supply routes. The leaders said continued instability in the region has highlighted the need for greater energy security among major economies.
Questions also remain over the situation in Lebanon, where fighting involving Israel and Hezbollah continues to complicate efforts to achieve a broader regional ceasefire. Iran has called for any permanent agreement to include an end to hostilities in Lebanon and an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanese territory. Israel has maintained that it will retain the option of military action and has not committed to a full withdrawal.
The issue has exposed differences between Washington and Israel, particularly after Trump publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over aspects of the conflict and the ongoing peace process.
In their joint statement, G7 leaders called for an immediate and durable ceasefire in Lebanon and urged the disarmament of Hezbollah as part of wider efforts to restore stability in the region.
Financial markets reacted positively to signs of de-escalation. Brent crude futures fell below $80 per barrel on Wednesday, reaching their lowest level since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran conflict as traders anticipated reduced risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts caution, however, that the memorandum represents only an initial step toward ending the conflict. The success of the ceasefire and prospects for a lasting peace will depend on whether negotiators can bridge significant differences on security, nuclear, and regional issues in the weeks ahead.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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