Just days after the United States and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending months of conflict, US President Donald Trump defended his decision to pursue a peace agreement and described Iranians as “very smart people.”

Speaking in an interview with Axios, Trump argued that the agreement was necessary to prevent further escalation in the region and claimed that Iran posed a serious threat if it ever obtained nuclear weapons.

Trump Explains Decision to Pursue Peace

During the interview, Trump said he chose diplomacy to prevent a dangerous situation from spiraling further. “I had to make an excursion to stop a very volatile group of people that are smart. The Iranians are very smart people. They’re primitive geniuses, but they’re smart,” Trump said.

The president argued that Iran could not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and claimed that such a development would have endangered Israel's existence.

Claims About Iran and Israel

Trump insisted that Iran would have used nuclear weapons against Israel if it had acquired them. “I had to stop them because if they had a nuclear weapon, they would have used it. And you want to see Bethlehem, let them blow up a couple of cities and some place. They would have blown up Israel if it weren’t for me. Israel would not have existed,” he remarked.

He further stated that his actions prevented a scenario in which Israel could have faced destruction.

Criticism of Previous Iran Nuclear Deal

The US president also criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the international nuclear agreement involving Iran. Trump claimed that the deal represented a pathway to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and argued that Israel's security would have been severely threatened if the agreement had remained in place.

“In my opinion, Israel would no longer be with us. Israel would have been gone years ago had I not done that,” he said.

Trump Targets Hardline Critics

Trump also expressed frustration with individuals who opposed the peace agreement and wanted military operations against Iran to continue. According to him, some hardliners pushed for a more aggressive approach even when negotiations appeared close to success.

“The sad part is that over the last few days when it looked like we are going to make a deal… I’ll be honest with you. I LOST RESPECT for some people. I don’t want to mention the names — but, you know, HARDLINERS. ‘Oh, you gotta take them out.’ Plus, I’m not looking to kill people!” he said. The president suggested that avoiding a broader conflict was one of his primary goals.

Warning About Economic Consequences

Trump also argued that an extended conflict could have had severe consequences for the global economy. “I have one primary wish as a president, in terms of people, I never want to be like the late great Herbert Hoover. So this is a kind of thing that could have caused a worldwide depression.”

His comments linked the peace agreement to efforts to prevent economic instability and protect international markets.

Claims of Secret Military Operations

During the interview, Trump made further claims regarding US military activities in recent months. He stated that American forces had been targeting vessels without public knowledge and said those operations remained unnoticed because defensive systems had been disabled.

“You know that for the last two months, I have been taking out many ships out there and nobody knew it. You know why they didn’t know? Because we knocked out their radar. We knocked out their defensive stuff,” he told Axios.

Remarks on Israel and Lebanon

When asked whether he could prevent Israel from launching military action against Lebanon, Trump expressed confidence in his influence over the Israeli government.

“Yeah, I will be. They have a lot of respect for me. And they do as I say,” he remarked.

Peace Deal Remains in Focus

Trump's comments came shortly after the signing of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, which marked a significant diplomatic development following months of conflict.

While the agreement has drawn both support and criticism, the president defended the move as necessary to avoid a wider regional war, protect Israel, and prevent potential economic fallout. His remarks also highlighted continuing debates over Iran's nuclear ambitions, US foreign policy in the Middle East, and the future stability of the region.