Donald Trump left the Palace of Versailles after a dinner where he signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran, as French first lady Brigitte Macron stood behind, according to a photograph by Michel Euler/EPA. The event occurred while Trump was in France for the G7 summit.
Trump Signs Iran Memorandum at Versailles
The Trump administration declared a “major win,” while Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem proclaimed a “great victory” as the text of the 14-point US-Iran memorandum of understanding became public. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “The agreement is a record of US failure. People will see it and judge.” Iran’s official state news agency, Irna, released a photograph of Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, holding up a Persian-language document showing his signature alongside Trump’s. According to Reuters, Ghalibaf told state TV: “Everything we sought to achieve through military action, we obtained several times over through negotiation; it was not even comparable.”
The Trump administration released the text of the agreement, claiming it delivered a “major win” for the US, even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression.” Trump was shown on a White House video signing the memorandum at the Palace of Versailles, where Germany signed the humiliating Treaty of Versailles in 1919 after losing World War I. In extraordinary remarks, Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles program, and that the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
Trump Derails Clayton Confirmation
Trump abruptly diverted the confirmation process for Jay Clayton as the US’s top intelligence chief early Wednesday, allowing his controversial selection for acting director of national security, Bill Pulte, to assume the role and remain in place for at least several weeks until Clayton is confirmed.
Georgia Republicans Defy Trump on Redistricting
Georgia Republicans declined to redraw the state’s congressional map during a special session, defying calls from Trump for widespread redistricting after a recent US Supreme Court decision gutted a major section of the Voting Rights Act.
January 6 Defendants Seek Millions
January 6 defendants who assaulted police officers are pursuing legal claims for millions in compensation from the Trump administration using an obscure federal process with minimal oversight, offering the administration a way to compensate those responsible for violence even after scrapping its “anti-weaponization fund.”
Other Key Stories
- The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and signaled a possible rate hike before the end of the year.
- Trump’s nominee to serve as a top independent watchdog at the Department of Justice refused to call the January 6 insurrection an “attack” during questioning by US senators.
- Air force officials released the names of the eight men killed in this week’s fiery crash of a B-52 during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.
