President Donald Trump has opened a new political fight over the Iran deal by saying it would be unfair to deny Tehran some ballistic missiles if other countries in the region have them.
Reuters, carried by The Straits Times, reported that Trump made the remark in Paris on Wednesday after the U.S. and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said that if other countries have ballistic missiles, it is “a little bit unfair” for Iran not to have some as well.
The same Reuters report said Trump pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as regional examples and suggested Iran could keep missiles in “relative proportion.” That matters because Iran’s missile program has long been one of the hardest issues in U.S., Israeli, Gulf and European diplomacy. The new comment signals that Washington may treat missiles as a follow-on regional arms-control issue rather than an immediate deal-breaking demand.
Anadolu Agency separately reported that Trump said U.S. forces would remain in the Gulf region “for a while” after the agreement. Anadolu also reported that the memorandum was signed electronically and includes an end to military operations on all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the start of nuclear talks tied to sanctions relief.
That combination is the new pressure point. The deal is supposed to calm the crisis, restart traffic through one of the world’s most important energy routes, and move the nuclear file into negotiations. But Trump’s missile comments give critics a clear target: the agreement may halt the fighting without immediately curbing one of Iran’s core military capabilities.
The Associated Press reported that the initial agreement calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium while sanctions relief would allow Iranian oil sales to resume. That makes the missile issue especially sensitive. The nuclear provision gives Trump a nonproliferation argument, while the missile concession gives opponents a reason to say Tehran kept too much.
ABC News reported that Trump defended the agreement partly in economic terms and said he could resume bombing if Iran violates it. That keeps the deal balanced between two messages: Washington is claiming a diplomatic off-ramp, but it is also warning that military pressure remains available.
For Israel and Gulf governments, the ballistic-missile language will be watched closely. Missiles are not the same as nuclear weapons, but they shape the threat environment around U.S. bases, Gulf energy infrastructure, Israeli cities, and commercial shipping. A deal that reopens Hormuz while leaving missiles to later talks may reduce the immediate economic shock but preserve a major security dispute.
The practical test now is implementation. If Hormuz reopens, oil flows resume, and nuclear talks begin, Trump can argue that the missile question belongs in a broader regional package. If Iran stalls or uses the breathing room to harden its position, the missile comments will become one of the first lines cited by critics who say Washington conceded too much too quickly.