The US media are not impressed with Donald Trump’s deal to end the Iran war, widely condemning the long-awaited peace agreement.
This article covers events in the US and Middle East on Thursday (Australia time). For Friday’s live updates, please click here.
The US and Iran have officially signed their 14-point peace deal, and the Trump administration has released the full text of the controversial agreement.
The two countries had been expected to sign it in an official ceremony in Switzerland on Saturday, but they’ve signed it early, the White House confirmed on Wednesday local time.
The memorandum is essentially an interim agreement before the “final deal” is made at some point in future, but a few things will change right away.
The US and Iran will cease hostility on all fronts and refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
Iran will re-open the Strait of Hormuz without tolls and commercial traffic will start flowing “immediately”, taking into account the need for de-mining operations.
Meanwhile, NATO leaders are attempting to calm growing concerns about Europe’s security after the US confirmed it is scaling back some of the military assets it makes available to the alliance.
The move comes as Washington increasingly shifts its attention towards China and pressures European nations to take greater responsibility for their own defence following the Iran fiasco.
Mr Trump has meanwhile come under pressure from conservative commentators — among them radio host Mark Levin and former National Security Adviser John Bolton — who argue the memorandum gives Tehran far too much leeway.
While critics were poring over the full text of the deal, Donald Trump turned up somewhat late to a meeting of world leaders at the G7 – so much so that a stand in was sitting in the US’ spot.
But when he finally arrived, full of confidence, he declared “I’m the boss” to laughter from the prime ministers and presidents present.
The G7 Summit, held this year on the shores of Lake Geneva in France, has concluded with agreement on Iran and a push for peace in Ukraine.
Read on for more updates from Thursday.
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