17/06/2026
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17/06/2026
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Évian-les-Bains, France, Jun 17: US President Donald Trump said Iran should be allowed to maintain a limited missile capability, arguing that a complete ban would be unrealistic while other countries in the region possess similar weapons.
Speaking after the G7 summit in France, Trump said the United States would work with Persian Gulf countries on broader non-nuclear issues involving Iran, including ballistic missiles and Tehran’s support for regional armed groups.
“We’ll be working on a parallel effort with the Gulf nations to address non-nuclear issues, such as the conventional ballistic missiles,” Trump said.
He rejected calls from some advisers who have argued that Iran should not be allowed to keep any missiles, saying such a position would be difficult to justify given regional realities.
“There are people around me who say they shouldn’t even have one missile. I asked: what exactly do you suggest? That Saudi Arabia can have missiles and Iran cannot? It just doesn’t work that way,” Trump said.
The US president also raised concerns over Iran’s backing of regional groups, saying Washington would seek to address what he described as Tehran’s “terrorist proxies.”
“We’ll talk also about the terrorist proxies that they have. We don’t want that to happen,” Trump said.
Trump Warns US Could Resume Bombing if Iran Violates Unwritten Commitments
Trump also warned that the United States could resume military strikes against Iran if Tehran fails to comply with understandings reached between the two sides, including commitments that were not formally included in a memorandum of understanding.
“If they don’t honor the agreement, some things aren’t even mentioned in the agreement,” Trump said during remarks at the conclusion of the G7 summit. “It’s a memorandum of understanding, but we have an understanding of certain things without writing it.”
He added that failure by Iran to respect those commitments could lead to renewed US military action.
“If they don’t honor that, we’ll probably go back to bombing them,” Trump said, adding: “It’s amazing what bombs can do.”
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme, missile capabilities and regional activities, with Washington seeking wider restrictions beyond nuclear issues while Tehran has historically opposed limits on its conventional defence systems.