U.S. President Donald Trump described the memorandum of understanding signed between Tehran and Washington as "something akin to an unconditional surrender" by the Islamic Republic, stating that American military pressure was the primary factor that forced Iran to reach an agreement.
In an interview with Axios published on Thursday, June 18, Trump claimed that the United States had "completely defeated" the Islamic Republic militarily and that the naval blockade of Iran played a decisive role in forcing Tehran to accept the agreement.
"Who else could have carried out such a blockade? Not even a single ship could get through," he said.
At the same time, the U.S. President acknowledged that continuing the war could have had severe consequences for the global economy. He stated that the only harsher alternative would have been to continue bombing Iran - an action that, according to him, could have led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prolonged disruptions in oil supplies, and even a global economic recession.
Trump emphasized that a prolonged war in the Middle East could have resulted in an "economic disaster," which is why he considered reaching an agreement to be the more favorable option.
