US President Donald Trump on Monday, 16 June publicly credited the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar with helping broker a new agreement with Iran, describing the accord as a diplomatic breakthrough that would prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The meetings took place on the sidelines of international gatherings in Evian, with Trump holding separate sessions with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

What Trump Said About the Iran Deal

Trump was effusive in crediting both Gulf states with enabling the accord. During his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed, he said, 'We just signed a deal with Iran, and this country was very, very — a very powerful ally and good things are happening.' He repeatedly returned to what he called the deal's central objective: 'The one thing that's happening that's of note, frankly, the only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.'

Trump indicated he would eventually release the full text of the agreement. 'I'll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word,' he said, summarising its core provision as: 'Here's what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.'

Strait of Hormuz and Oil Markets

Trump claimed that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil chokepoint — was already recovering following the deal. 'The ships are starting to move now. We're going to have a — fully open by Friday,' he said, adding that oil prices were 'coming down rapidly.' The remarks suggest the agreement is already producing tangible economic effects, though independent verification of the shipping claims was not immediately available.

Gulf Leaders Respond

Sheikh Mohammed thanked Trump for US support during the recent regional conflict, saying, 'Without your support, your commitment, Mr. President, not only my country, but the Middle East would be a different situation today.' He also signalled an intent to deepen bilateral ties, noting 'a lot of things we can talk about for going forward between our two countries.'

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim described the accord as 'a very important deal' and urged continued momentum. 'There's still a lot of work to be done, but I think, you know, with this momentum, if we continue like that, Mr. President, I think we can achieve and do great in the region,' he said. He added that the agreement would be 'very important for the region, very important also for Iran as well.'

Economic Ties and Abraham Accords

Both meetings also spotlighted the expansion of economic partnerships between Washington and its Gulf allies. Trump said the UAE had invested 'trillions of dollars' in the United States. The Qatari Emir said the bilateral trade and investment relationship was growing fast, projecting: 'Our trade partnership is gonna reach $1.2 trillion.'

Trump also expressed optimism about expanding the Abraham Accords normalisation framework. 'I think they're all going to come in,' he said when asked whether additional countries could join. Notably, both the UAE and Qatar have historically served as back-channel intermediaries during periods of elevated Gulf tension, giving their diplomatic roles in the Iran negotiations significant regional credibility.

What Comes Next

The full text of the Iran agreement has not yet been released, and the details of its verification and enforcement mechanisms remain undisclosed. Trump has pledged a public readout. Regional analysts will be watching whether the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens by the timeline Trump cited and whether Iran publicly confirms the terms of the accord. The expansion of the Abraham Accords, if it materialises, would mark a further reshaping of Middle East alignments.