(CNBC)-President Donald Trump said Wednesday U.S. military forces will remain deployed in and around Iran until Tehran fully complies with the “real agreement,” warning that any breach would trigger a military response larger than anything seen before.
“All US ships, aircraft, and military personnel…will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If for any reason it is not…the ‘Shootin’ Starts,′ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.”
Trump reiterated that it was agreed that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons, and the Strait of Hormuz will be open and safe for commercial shipping.
“In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest,” Trump added. He ended the post, which was published near midnight, with a declaration: “AMERICA IS BACK!”
The statement came a day after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, which halted six weeks of fighting and sparked a brief relief rally in global markets amid growing optimism that energy flows may resume in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said safe passage through the strait would be possible but subject to coordination with its armed forces.
But much remained unclear in the ceasefire agreement, with the U.S. and Iran appearing far apart in demands. Tehran had rejected the 15-point proposal from Washington and reportedly presented a 10-point plan of its own to end the conflict, including an end to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the lifting of all sanctions.
In a separate social media post earlier on Wednesday, Trump described the 10-point plan reported by the New York Times and CNN as “totally fake.”
Israel supported Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran but insisted that the ceasefire doesn’t extend to Lebanon, unleashing its harshest offensives on the country since the war broke out in February, killing at least 182 people on Wednesday.
The deadly attacks prompted a threat from Iran, which suggested that it would be “unreasonable” to proceed with talks to seek a permanent peace deal with the U.S., underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire. The U.S. and Iran are expected to meet for a round of negotiations in Islamabad on Friday.
Oil prices resumed their climb on Thursday as continued hostilities in the region hampered hopes for a swift ending to the war. International benchmark Brent crude futures for June delivery rose 2.46% to $97.08, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for May climbed 3.4% to $97.55.
In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Amer Bisat, Lebanese minister of economy, said the country was “forced into this war” by external parties and reiterated its demand for a “sovereign-led ceasefire” and a negotiated settlement to the crisis.
“We are paying a devastating price for this war, war that was imposed on us,” Bisat added.
