President Donald Trump launched an early morning attack on Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware on Monday, June 30, following the senator’s Sunday television appearance suggesting Trump’s Iran negotiations resembled former President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal. Trump posted on Truth Social just before 3 a.m., denying any talks with Iran and criticizing Obama’s previous agreement.
Coons appeared on Fox News Sunday, where he referenced CNN reports from Thursday citing four sources familiar with discussions within the Trump administration about potentially helping Iran access up to $30 billion for civilian nuclear energy programs, easing sanctions, and freeing restricted Iranian funds. The Delaware senator told host Shannon Bream that Trump appeared to be moving toward negotiations, offering Iran a deal similar to Obama’s arrangement.
Trump’s response was swift and pointed. He wrote that he was not offering Iran anything, unlike Obama, who paid them billions under what he called the stupid road to a Nuclear Weapon JCPOA. The President added that he was not even talking to Iran since the United States had totally obliterated their nuclear facilities. Trump had previously called such reports a hoax propagated by sleazy elements within what he termed fake news media.
The confrontation stems from Trump’s decision in 2018 to withdraw from President Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action during his first term. This withdrawal prompted Iran to accelerate its nuclear program, according to reporting by Axios. The situation led Trump, upon resuming office, to consider a renewed deal that geopolitics expert Jeffrey Lewis characterized as a dollar-store version of the original agreement.
The current tensions escalated after Trump’s June 21 bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. NBC News reported that Trump expressed frustration with both Israel and Iran on June 24, stating they had been fighting so long that they did not know what they were doing. The President had announced a ceasefire between the two countries on Monday, June 23, but accused both sides of violating the agreement within hours.
According to early U.S. intelligence assessments described by sources briefed on the matter, the American military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the core components of Iran’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months. The White House acknowledged the assessment’s existence but disagreed with its conclusions.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, finalized July 14, 2015, in Vienna, Austria, involved Iran and the P5+1 countries plus the European Union. The agreement called for sanctions relief in exchange for Iran dismantling critical infrastructure, halting new research, restricting enrichment capabilities, and allowing international monitoring. Iran’s nuclear program resumed after Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the accord.
Trump’s Iran policy continues to face scrutiny as the administration navigates complex Middle East tensions. The President maintains that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons, telling reporters he believes it’s “the last thing on their mind right now.” Meanwhile, Democratic leaders and foreign policy experts question the effectiveness of the administration’s approach to Iranian nuclear ambitions.
