President Donald Trump began Thursday morning by forcefully defending his newly signed agreement with Iran, dismissing critics of the deal as “fools” while pointing to recent stock market gains and lower fuel prices as evidence that the agreement is already producing positive results.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump celebrated economic developments that have coincided with the announcement of the administration’s 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran. The agreement, formally signed Wednesday in Versailles, France, has quickly become one of the most debated foreign policy initiatives of his presidency, drawing criticism from both supporters and opponents.
Rather than responding to those concerns point by point, Trump took direct aim at those questioning whether the agreement is sufficiently tough on Iran.
“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” Trump wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT.”
The memorandum of understanding includes several major provisions, among them the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the U.S. Navy blockade of Iran. The agreement has also generated controversy because of provisions involving sanctions relief and a framework establishing a $300 billion reconstruction fund.
Those elements have sparked concerns from critics across the political spectrum, some of whom argue the agreement provides too much to Iran. Others have questioned whether the deal contains enough safeguards to ensure Tehran follows through on its commitments.
Trump, however, has repeatedly pointed to market reactions as evidence that investors and businesses view the agreement favorably.
Speaking at a press conference during the G7 summit on Wednesday, the president argued that preventing broader economic disruption was one of his primary concerns throughout the conflict.
“So the one thing I didn’t want to see is — I didn’t want to see economic catastrophe,” Trump said.
He suggested that continued fighting could have created significant economic risks and argued that financial markets consistently responded positively whenever the possibility of peace appeared closer.
“But all I know is, every time we talked about the possibility of peace, the stock market shot up like a rocket ship,” Trump said. “It never went down.”
The president went on to praise the market’s ability to react to events in real time, suggesting that investor confidence reflected broader optimism about the direction of negotiations.
While Trump highlighted the potential economic benefits of the agreement, he also emphasized that the deal is not without consequences if Iran fails to honor its commitments.
Throughout the negotiations, Trump has maintained that the agreement must ultimately serve American interests and that any violation by Iran would trigger a strong response.
At Wednesday’s press conference, the president delivered one of his most direct warnings yet regarding enforcement of the memorandum.
“If I don’t like it, if they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head,” Trump said. “Because they’ve misbehaved for 47 years.”
The comments underscored the unusual balance Trump has attempted to strike in defending the agreement. On one hand, he has promoted it as a pathway away from further conflict and economic uncertainty. On the other, he has repeatedly stressed that military action remains an option should Iran fail to comply.
As debate over the memorandum continues, supporters point to improving market conditions and easing energy prices as encouraging signs. Critics remain focused on the agreement’s concessions and unanswered questions. For now, Trump is making the case that avoiding economic turmoil while maintaining leverage over Iran represents a better outcome than allowing a costly conflict to continue indefinitely.
[READ MORE: Trump Defends Iran Interim Deal, Calls Critics ‘Jealous, Bad People or Stupid’]
