There is nothing said in the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran about Iran’s ballistic missiles, though it is those missiles that are an immediate threat to Israel and the Gulf Arab states, as opposed to the distant threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program. President Donald Trump has defended leaving ballistic missiles out of the agreement. More on this can be found here: “As deal takes force, Trump says ‘it’s okay’ for Iran to have some ballistic missiles,” by Jacob Magid, Times of Israel, June 18, 2026:
Reporter: You said you don’t mind Iran having ballistic missiles?
Trump: I’m saying if other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them to not have some. pic.twitter.com/aAergUnFRj
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 17, 2026
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.
Oh, well. That’s okay then. If other countries have ballistic missiles, then Iran should have them, too. But why stop there? Since Israel has nuclear weapons, it would be unfair to prevent Iran from having them, too — maybe just a handful, while Israel still has about one hundred. And if the U.S. has thermonuclear weapons, then why should Cuba not have them? The idiocy of this is palpable. Trump’s negotiators made a very bad deal, and having been unable to get Iran to give up its ballistic missiles, he simply pooh-poohs their importance. The people in Israel, and in the Gulf Arab states, who have had to live under the threat of those missiles, do not agree.
“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 ballistic 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 U.S. 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.
Having capitulated on the issue of ballistic missiles, Trump’s only defense has been that Iran, after all, is entitled to have some missiles. It would be “unfair” — his word — for Iran to be deprived of its ballistic missiles while Israel and other states in the region have them. No wonder that so many senators are up in arms over this catastrophic MoU. Senator Cassidy of Louisiana was the most scathing, declaring that Trump’s Iran deal was “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”
Trump would like everyone to believe that the MoU was a brilliant achievement. In fact, it has achieved three things that will gladden the rulers in Tehran: first, it has caused the Iranian people to sink into despair, for it is clear that Trump, as he himself has said, has “no interest in regime change.” Help is not on the way. Second, it has infuriated the Israelis, who asked to see the agreement before it was released and were refused. The MoU does not deal with the ballistic missiles, which are an immediate threat to Israel. It does not require Iran to give up its nuclear stockpile. The Israelis are appalled. And then there are the repeated, foul-mouthed execrations directed at Prime Minister Netanyahu by Trump. Third, it provides for tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets to be unfrozen, and given to Iran, which will use the money, no doubt, to build its war machine. And Trump has committed the U.S. to help raise $300 billion in private investments in Iran. Is it any wonder that the rulers in Iran are delighted?
Maria V says
Trump is and has been very Gullible. A few years back, he stated; ‘We will Never have Communism in this Country.’ That statement alone I found to be so Stupid!’
Now he’s done a 180, and thinks it’s okay for them to have Ballistic missiles? You Cannot Trust Anything that comes out of the mouth of the IRGC & whoever else is running the Country.
I forsee in the near future, WWIII …
David Lakatos says
Trump is no better than Biden or Obama. They didn’t weaken Islamic terrorists; they made them stronger.
somehistory says
There is an old saying, “All’s ***fair**** in love and war.” Mr. Trump, wince when are muzlims behaving *fairly* in dealing with others?
Is iran dealing *fairly* with the average citizens? With the women and young girls who show the hair on their heads?
What muzlims are speaking in the ears of Mr. Trump?
Then again, Ezekiel must have fulfillment. Things are headed in that direction.
Wellington says
Somehistory: I strongly recommend you read the article I posted a link to in my comment below yours. JD Rucker, as perhaps you already know, is a devout Christian and, like you, sees the hand of God in human affairs.
Hope you and yours are doing well—and I would be interested in your take on Rucker’s take.
somehistory says
Thank you, Wellington, for the link. And the well-wishing.
It’s very interesting. And I can agree with him.
What he wrote reminds me of something many people either ignore completely, or just don’t understand.
The Bible says, “God is not slow respecting His promise, but is patient because He doesn’t wish any to be destroyed.”
While He waits patiently, the evil deeds and evil mindset and evil hearts, are exposed for the world to see….and condemn. When He finally does take action, it will be obvious to all that those who are destroyed by Him, will fully deserve it.
The terrorists of iran don’t want peace and have never worked for it. When they make deals, they lie with every word, knowing they have no intention of keeping any promises to change their MO.
They will whine when the bombs begin again, not taking any blame for the deaths and destruction.
Thanks again, for the article and the wishing me and mine well. We are doing as well as anyone can expect these days. But, hoping for better.
Wellington says
Thanks for your reply, somehistory. You know, I’m usually not torn about things. Ordinarily, I fully know where I stand on most issues (though this doesn’t equate to my being right but I hope it does), examples being that America is the single greatest polity in all of man’s history and Islam is the one major religion of the world that is a negative for the human race.
But respecting what is going on now where Iran is concerned—and what Trump is up to with said sorry-ass nation (so much for the greatness of the Persian people, which assessment I most certainly reject for reasons I have formerly detailed here at JW and elsewhere)—I remain uncertain.
Well, I don’t like uncertainty. I strongly lean towards both certainty and clarity. But where Trump and Iran are concerned, I continue to see a whole host of possibilities. And the “certainty inclination” in me doesn’t like this, Doesn’t like this at all, though still hoping (though as Emily Dickinson noted, “hope is a subtle glutton”) that Trump has got things right, Iran wrong, and not the other way around.
Verdict still out.
somehistory says
Thank you, Wellington. I like certainty, too. Not that I’ve seen much in my life except that I have always been certain that things can…and frequently do…go from bad to worse.
I wouldn’t choose to be in the president’s position, to have his responsibility and for every move to be criticized by someone; most often by a huge number of someone’s.
When I was a child, by father was a sharecropper (Whites had that, not just Blacks) and we raised a lot of crops. One main was strawberries. I was the one who dropped for my father to plant, while my older sister dropped for one of my brothers. He was always close because he was fast. If the plants got tangled up, he’d take some and tell me to go on ahead. It seemed a never-ending job.
But when it was picking time, I could look back with longing for being able to stand erect while dropping those plants that bore the fruit I had to stoop over, or crawl on my knees, to pick. The crawling came when I was too tired to stand and bend over.
The rows went long before us, seeming to have no end where one could stand and stretch the back and turn the neck for some relief
There were always more rows to travel and berries to pick. And many more days to come with the same.
Those were my certainties.
Now, I don’t have many, except for what I believe God is doing and what He is allowing. And trying to keep my hope up as I see so many doing evil things to others.
My son had to go out of town for a case he’s working and he always takes his family so they can have an adventure…hiking, fishing and taking photos of wildlife.
I live vicariously through my little grand daughters and what they get to do I never did. That’s my joy, hearing them talk about it all excitedly. They’ll be back in a few days.
Wellington says
Since April I have wondered what Trump is up to, leaning increasingly in a negative direction but allowing for the possibility that Trump knows exactly what he is doing. Hence I proffer the following article, which is supportive of what Trump has done respecting this MOU, and which article I contend is well worth the read if for no other reason than to take into account a myriad of perspectives.
https://jdrucker.com/the-hawks-are-right-that-iran-will-cheat-thats-the-point/
Larry Estavan says
Well, look on the bright side – at least we didn’t get a deluge of Iranian refugees.
Dominic Ingemi says
Live Persians like Annie Cyrus in America are better than dead ones in the Islamic republic!
Horatio says
Trump got mixed up when he took the oath about protecting the country from enemies foreign and domestic. He thinks it said protecting our enemies.
Walter Sieruk says
Trump had been a good President ,but for some reason or reasons he has turned bad, very bad . For his former true statements about that Sharia based tyranny , that is officially titled “The Islamic Rebube of Iram” not fit not have ballistic missiles , had now flipped-flopped by saying the exact opposite. That inconsistency will prove to be very dangerous.
Furthermore , that Obama’s” deal” with Iran was disaster . Now, Trump’s new “deal”with Iran is likewise a disaster,
It’s a another version of that Obama”deal” with that “mullah regime” of Iran.
Shame on Trump, he “caved in” he’s a sell out. For Trump is giving new lease on that demonic Islamic regime to continue with all Its many evil activities
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Actually, on this one, had regime change been real – as in a change to Pahlavi rather than nameless thugs of the islamic regime – I’d have agreed w/ Trump. B’cos a non-islamic Iran cannot remain defenseless against its muslim neighbors. Even though it’s not 1948, losing Iran to bilad ul Kafir would be like this century’s “naqba”: not only does an islamic regime collapse, but on top of that, the majority of that country’s population openly becomes Kafir. If they thought that Israel, Spain and India were bad, watch their reaction to losing Iran
In such a scenario, it would make sense to leave Iran w/ some level of defense, including ballistic. Not b’cos of Israel, but b’cos of other rogue regimes around them, like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar…. So that they’re not simply overrun and carved up like a turkey 🦃
If events continue that the islamic regime breaks this MOU and forces a final retaliation that topples it and brings about a Pahlavi transition followed by democratic rule, then I back the president’s statement. But if it doesn’t, then every denunciation of him so far is spot on! Knowing the islamic regime as we all do, I think that the former is more likely to occur than the latter
OLD GUY says
Trump may be giving the IRG enough rope to hang themselves. Only time will tell.