Trump says ‘no limits’ on his power, but his Iran deal opens up $300 billion to Tehran | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump has rejected the idea that the war with Iran has exposed any limits to his power, telling Axia that he still believes there are “no limits” to what he can do as president. The remarks followed his decision to settle for a much tighter deal with Tehran than he originally sought, and come as Trump is separately reported to be testing comparisons between himself and history’s most dominant rulers.
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Trump entered the conflict by insisting on Iran’s unconditional surrender and instead ended it with a memorandum of understanding, according to Axios. He told Axios reporter Marco Caputo on “Show Axios” that he had agreed to a tighter deal, specifically to stop the war escalating into a global economic depression, while continuing to insist that the outcome was a total victory.
Claiming without limitation: defiant by agreement
Quick answers to key questions
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Trump’s Iran deal includes 14 provisions, such as requiring Iran to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the US ending its naval blockade and Tehran gaining access to at least $300 billion in financing.
Trump settled for a tighter deal to prevent the war from potentially triggering a global economic depression, stressing that an escalation of the war could have serious consequences for global oil supplies.
Trump justified his claims of victory by saying that military objectives had been achieved while also claiming that the memorandum meant an unconditional surrender, although the terms differed from his original demands.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had a negative view of the deal, but allowed President Masoud Pezeshkian to sign it, indicating a pragmatic approach despite his reservations.
Critics warn that the Iran deal could make Tehran better off financially, raising concerns among US citizens about its potential long-term effects on national security and economic strategies.
Asked what the war had taught him about the limits of his own power, Trump didn’t hesitate. “There are no limits,” he said. He added urgently, “I haven’t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but there are no limits.”
The fine print: what the deal actually gives Iran
The difference between Trump’s original request and the deal he signed drew direct opposition during the interview. “At the beginning of the conflict you were talking about, all you wanted was unconditional surrender,” Caputo said. “And the memorandum of understanding does not look like an unconditional surrender.
Trump disagreed, insisting that “we totally beat them militarily” and that the memorandum “probably means unconditional surrender.”
Read also | Trump explains why he made the deal with Iran
The text of the agreement suggests a more complex picture. It aims for 14 provisions that require Iran to allow free passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the US to end its naval blockade, while giving Tehran access to at least $300 billion in financing, with the lifting of existing US sanctions contingent on a final deal still to come.
The agreement contains 14 provisions that require Iran to allow ships to travel freely through the Strait of Hormuz, for the US to end its naval blockade, and for Iran to gain access to at least $300 billion in financing, with several provisions favorable to Iran, including funds for reconstruction and economic development.
Even inside Iran, the deal was not universally welcomed. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly held a negative stance on the deal, but granted President Masoud Pezeshkian permission to sign it regardless.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the memorandum of understanding after Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei granted permission despite his negative opinion of the peace deal. MediaiteWashington Examiner
Military boast: defense against blockade
Trump pointed to the US Navy’s response, part of a campaign the Pentagon has dubbed Operation Epic Fury, as a show of force rather than restraint. “We have by far the most powerful military in the world,” he said.
“Who else could make a blockade like that? I made a naval blockade where not a single ship could get through. Some tried. It didn’t take long.”
Why Trump settled: Depression concerns
When pressed about why he hasn’t taken a harder line, Trump bristled at his hawkish critics. “The only way I can be tougher is if I go out there for the next two or three weeks and keep bombing the hell out of them,” he said. “Right? But what will it do for us? The Strait of Hormuz will not be opened.”
He continued, “We wouldn’t have oil for months. As long as you keep dropping bombs, the thing is automatically shut down.” He said of the broader risk: “This is the kind of thing that could cause a global depression.”
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Axios reported that Trump has privately expressed concern that global oil supplies are running low and that a wider oil shock could follow if the strait remains closed. That private anxiety, Axios said, helps explain why he accepted the deal on offer rather than wait for the maximalist outcome he had promised before the war began.
The decision appears to have eased pressure at the pump for now: U.S. gasoline prices this week fell to their lowest level since late March, down more than 50 cents a gallon over the past month, as cross-strait traffic resumed.
The average price for a gallon of gas fell to its lowest level since late March on Thursday and is down more than 50 cents from a month ago. Fox News
Opposition on the right: “very bad advice”
Not everyone in Trump’s own political camp was happy. Fox News anchor Mark Levin dismissed the deal as factually indefensible, while his colleague Trey Gowdy argued that Tehran would remain financially better off rather than weaker.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was even more blunt, saying Trump was getting “very bad advice.” Fox News anchor Mark Levin called it unthinkable, his colleague Trey Gowdy said the deal would make Iran richer, and Sen.
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Ted Cruz said Trump was getting “very bad advice.” Vice President JD Vance, who helped negotiate the deal, took a firm stand against its critics.
A larger theory: comparisons with historical strongmen
A separate Axios report published this week suggests the “no limits” remark was not an isolated boast. Trump has reportedly begun describing his power in sweeping historical terms, likening himself to conquerors and strongmen who shaped nations by force of will, and is said to be exploring the idea that he could become the most dominant leader in history through an upcoming book project.
Trump is no longer just testing the limits of the presidency. He describes power in world-historical terms and entertains the idea that he may be the most powerful man in history.
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Yet in the same interview with Axios, Trump suggested one comparison that still bothers him. “As president, I have one primary wish,” he said. “I never want to be late, the great Herbert Hoover,” a reference to the president whose name became synonymous with the Great Depression. On Thursday, he reinforced that by sharing a documentary on Truth Social that explores the idea of uniquely dominant historical leaders, which he credited to a person he identified as a historian of the presidency.
Trump says the war demonstrated the breadth of his power rather than its limits, though critics on both sides of the political spectrum continue to question the substance of the deal he eventually signed.
