President Trump said Wednesday that the 60-day negotiation period outlined in the newly signed memorandum of understanding with Iran should not be viewed as a strict deadline, suggesting the talks could continue beyond that timeframe if progress is being made and Iran complies with its commitments.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, Trump dismissed the notion that the two-month window represented a final cutoff point for reaching a comprehensive agreement with Tehran.

“No, I don’t. [It] could take longer,” Trump said in Paris when asked if 60 days marked a final deadline.

The president indicated that the pace of negotiations was less important to him than Iran’s conduct during the process.

“I don’t view it as hard,” he continued. “Just as long as they’re behaving, I really don’t care that much.”

Trump’s remarks came shortly after senior administration officials released the full text of the memorandum to the press. According to the agreement, Washington and Tehran pledged “to negotiating and achieving the final deal in a maximum 60 days extended with mutual consent.”

Despite the breakthrough, Trump emphasized earlier in the day that the memorandum is merely a preliminary framework and should not be mistaken for a completed agreement.

“No, it’s not final. It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head,” he said.

The president also warned that military action remains an option if Iran fails to meet expectations during the negotiation period.

“If they don’t behave, we’ll go back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head,” he continued, adding “they’ve misbehaved for 47 years.”

Under the framework agreement, Iran would pledge never to develop a nuclear weapon, a commitment similar to provisions included in the Obama-era nuclear accord that Trump later withdrew from. However, the memorandum leaves unresolved several major issues involving Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, including the fate of its stockpile of enriched uranium.

Trump suggested Wednesday that securing control over Iran’s enriched nuclear material was not his primary concern, arguing that preventing the creation of a nuclear weapon was the more important objective.

“Because it’s very hard to get it. I don’t think anybody could get at. We could get at it with great work and a lot of time,” he said.

His comments underscored the administration’s position that the ultimate measure of success will be ensuring Iran remains unable to build a nuclear bomb, even as negotiators continue to work through the unresolved details of a final agreement.

{Matzav.com}