Trump Says Middle East Owes Its Existence to His Iran Crackdown

Donald Trump isn't known for sharing credit, and Friday was no exception. In a Truth Social post, the US president declared that Israel — and the whole Middle East — would not exist today if he hadn't stopped Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He offered no supporting evidence, adding only that nobody wants to say it out loud but everybody knows it's true.

The timing is pointed. Washington and Tehran are still locked in negotiations, with Qatar running the middleman operation. Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, spoke by phone with Trump about the latest international efforts, including Doha's mediation push, while Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said bluntly that the two sides won't land a perfect deal — and should settle for a good one instead.

There may be movement underneath the noise. Tehran is reviewing options to curb its nuclear program to keep the talks alive, the Times of Israel reported Friday, citing a US official familiar with the matter. Qatari mediators floated the proposal during last week's round of talks, according to that report. It reportedly stops short of dismantling Iran's nuclear program entirely but does tackle the country's stockpile of enriched uranium — with Washington said to be ready to dangle significant sanctions relief if Tehran plays along.

Iran is also shopping elsewhere. Russia and Iran are discussing the supply of advanced S-400 air defense systems to Tehran, the Telegraph reported Friday, citing an Iranian official. The Iranian side is said to be optimistic about finally getting the long-awaited hardware after Mohsen Rezaei, security chief to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The two also discussed building a gas pipeline between the countries.

On the ground, tensions kept simmering. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-1 reconnaissance drone over Qeshm Island in southern Iran using an advanced air defense system, according to Fars News Agency. The IRGC claimed it was the 16th MQ-1 downed by Iranian forces, and said its units are tracking US aerial movements and flight patterns around the clock.