Trump aims to create a "Super Weekend": hoping to sign the US-Iran agreement before turning 80

BlockBeats News, June 12 — Trump has been hoping that this weekend can be his political highlight: On Friday, the World Cup returns to the U.S. (for the first time in 32 years); on Sunday, on his 80th birthday, a UFC fight will be held, with thousands of guests at the White House; immediately after, he will fly to France for the G7 summit. His sudden statement on Thursday that "the U.S. and Iran may reach a final peace agreement this weekend" has also pushed market expectations to a peak.

On Friday, Iran’s Mehr News Agency listed the details of the "14-Point Draft Memorandum of Understanding" between the U.S. and Iran, a draft exposed by Iran’s semi-official media, which was later refuted by Trump in a statement that evening.

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, analyzed that Trump’s escalation threats serve to show a "tough stance" to domestic hardliners on one hand, and on the other, to find a "victory-style exit" for himself.

Vaez revealed that, just as Trump issued tough words, Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar’s mediation teams have made substantial progress in negotiations with Iran. Last weekend, Iran’s first direct attack on Israel (after the Israeli military previously struck Hezbollah in Lebanon) also made the U.S. realize: if Israel conducts another airstrike on Lebanon, it will face a strong Iranian counterattack, and the U.S. commitment to "defend Israel" will come at a much higher cost. "Trump wants to end the war, but what he wants is a victory halo and a safe exit; the two are hard to achieve simultaneously."