President Donald Trump told AFP on Tuesday that the United States had achieved a “total and complete victory” after reaching a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran.
During a telephone call, Trump said he believed China had influenced Iran to come to the negotiating table, adding that Tehran’s stock of enriched uranium would be “perfectly taken care of.”
The ceasefire follows over a month of destructive attacks by the United States and Israel and was mediated by Pakistan.Trump expressed confidence in the truce despite Tehran also presenting it as a win for Iran, and amid lingering questions about the precise terms agreed upon by both sides.
The ceasefire deal was finalized barely an hour before Trump’s self-imposed deadline to launch attacks on Iran expired.“Total and complete victory. 100%. No question about it,” Trump told AFP when asked whether he considered the ceasefire a victory.
Despite uncertainties surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic, Trump insisted that there was a solid framework for a longer-term agreement. “We have a 15-point transaction, of which most points have already been agreed on.
We’ll see what happens. We’ll see if it gets there,” he said.Earlier, on his Truth Social network, Trump noted that Iran had presented a 10-point proposal, which he described as “workable.” He did not clarify whether he would revert to his previous threats to target Iran’s civilian power plants and bridges if the deal fell apart, saying only, “You’re going to have to see.”
Uranium Concerns Addressed The fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains a key issue, as the US president has repeatedly stated that part of the conflict’s aim was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump, however, assured that the nuclear material would be properly managed under the peace deal.
“That will be perfectly taken care of, or I wouldn’t have settled,” he said, without offering further details.Trump also reiterated that he believed China had played a role in persuading Tehran to negotiate a truce. “I hear yes,” he said when asked if Beijing had been involved.
The US president is scheduled to travel to Beijing in mid-May to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, in what is expected to be a crucial summit between the two superpowers. The trip had originally been planned for early April but was postponed so that Trump could remain in Washington to oversee the Iran conflict.
Beijing maintains strong economic ties with Tehran, being the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, China has significant relations with Gulf countries and has repeatedly criticized Iranian attacks on them.