The question on many minds is how Donald Trump—the self-styled “dealmaker”—delivered what he himself calls in his own words: “WORST DEAL EVER.” While the Iranians celebrate what appears to be the complete fulfillment of their wish list, America is left with no real gains.
1+Clause 4 of the 14-clause agreement states that “The United States of America commits to withdraw its forces from Iran’s periphery within 30 days of the final agreement.” While the U.S. has no ground forces inside Iran, this means evacuating over 20 American military bases scattered across the Middle East. It’s the realization of Iran’s dream: an American exit from the region.
Clause 8 of the agreement states that “Iran reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons.” The emphasis here is on the words “reaffirms”—Iran is refusing to commit to a new commitment. The Iranian regime has claimed for years it has no intention of possessing nuclear weapons—a false claim that triggered two military operations against Iran in the past year. The fact that the U.S. is allowing Iran to repeat this position is seen as profound naivety.
1+Clause 6 promises that the U.S., together with regional partners, will develop a program for Iran’s economic rehabilitation and development worth at least $300 billion. For comparison, Iran’s GDP in 2025 stood at $371 billion. The implication is that Trump is effectively offering to double the size of Iran’s economy.
Trump sees himself as a “killer” who knows how to get what he wants, but if this deal goes through, Iran will emerge from the conflict richer than it was before the war. Trump, meanwhile, could finish his final term in office perceived as a “lame duck.”