ADRIAN FLORIDO, HOST:
President Trump says the next phase of Iran talks will be easier than the first round of negotiation that led to the preliminary deal.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But we have a deal that's a fair deal. It's a good deal.
FLORIDO: Trump says the next phase will focus on more technical details regarding Iran's nuclear capacity and will also ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open. Observers say the next few days and months will be critical. NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez is in France with the president for the G7 summit, and he joins us now. Hi, Franco.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Hey, Adrian.
FLORIDO: So this is the second day of the G7 summit. What is the latest there?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, I don't think it's very surprising that Iran remains a focus of these talks. President Trump continues to give out kind of little details each day about the agreement that was signed. But so far, he's really focused on repeating two main points. And that's that the deal addresses the nuclear program and, two, that it ensures the Strait of Hormuz remains open to toll-free shipping.
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TRUMP: 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. And it says it loud and clear. They're not going to develop it. They're not going to buy it. They're not going to do anything with it. And if they do, they suffer unbelievable consequences.
ORDOÑEZ: Now, there have been so many questions about the specifics of the agreement. I was actually in the room with him today and asked if he would release the text of it so we could all just see it. He would not commit to releasing it any sooner than Friday when the ceremonial signing is happening, but he said he might actually have a press conference where he reads the text of the agreement.
FLORIDO: Franco, you've been talking with experts and former officials. Do they say all of this is a positive or negative?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, it's a bit of a mix. On the one hand, they think most people will say this is some kind of progress, that this is helpful if the fighting stops and that there is something in writing to help put the sides more accountable. But again, it's about the specifics. And I spoke to Katherine Thompson, who worked on Middle East policy in Trump's Defense Department and is now at the Cato Institute, a Libertarian think tank. She said the really hard part is what comes next.
KATHERINE THOMPSON: The next 60 days is really where, like, the money of this deal is either made or not made, right?
ORDOÑEZ: And she says that's because the thorniest issues are still on the table. I mean, what happens to the nuclear material that Iran still has? And what is the U.S. prepared to do regarding sanction relief? There are a number of other wild cards as well that could kind of blow this all up, particularly Israel and its ongoing aggression against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has not signed on to this deal, and Trump has basically raised a lot of concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been going too far and is hurting Trump's efforts to reach peace.
FLORIDO: Right. It sounds like President Trump had criticism for Israel - excuse me - the Israeli leader earlier today.
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, he really did. I mean, his main complaint is that Netanyahu just can't stop dropping bombs on Hezbollah in Lebanon. And he criticized some of the specific Israeli retaliation strikes, saying they went too far.
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TRUMP: I've had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.
ORDOÑEZ: Now, Trump seemed to be sending a message directly to Netanyahu when he also said, quote, "Israel would not exist right now" if not for him. This is not necessarily new. I mean, we've been reporting on the friction between the two leaders over the course of the war for a net while now, but it will be another important thing to watch for in the coming weeks. Does fighting in Lebanon stop, as it will likely play a major role in whether this deal is a success?
FLORIDO: That's NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez in Evian, France. Franco, thanks.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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