Trump Calls Iran MOU ‘Unconditional Surrender,’ Says His Power Has ‘No Limits’

Trump Makes Hard-Line Remarks in Axios Interview

Democrats Push Back, Saying He Handled Talks Poorly

President Donald Trump described the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran as effectively the country’s “unconditional surrender.”

In an interview with Axios published on June 18, Trump said the agreement was intended to prevent a prolonged war and a shock to the global economy. Asked what the war had taught him about the limits of power, Trump replied, “I haven’t learned that lesson yet.” He added, “I know there are limits, but there are no limits to my power.”

Trump also lashed out at political criticism over the MOU with Iran. He called skeptics “jealous bad people or stupid people.” He argued there was nothing to gain from continuing the bombing for several more weeks while the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, saying it “could cause a global Great Depression.”

The US and Iran signed the MOU a day earlier after a war that had lasted three and a half months. The two countries will hold negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program over the next 60 days. Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Switzerland on June 19 was canceled. The White House said follow-up talks have not yet been scheduled.

“Plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized,” a White House spokesperson said. “The course of negotiations is never simple or predictable.”

The agreement has already stirred controversy in the US. The MOU is reported to include a path toward lifting sanctions on Iran, resuming oil exports and securing $300 billion in economic reconstruction funding. It does not include provisions on ending Iran’s support for proxy forces or limiting its ballistic missiles, two issues the US had cited to justify military action.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump had “negotiated very poorly” and argued that the US position was now weaker than it had been before the war. Senator Peter Welch, also a Democrat, said Iran entered the talks while retaining control over the Strait of Hormuz and that the war failed to achieve its goals of regime change and ending Iran’s missile and nuclear programs.

Lee Jung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter, krse9059@hankyung.com