US President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s approach to Iran, saying previous American presidents should have adopted similar tactics years earlier.
According to a video posted by Fox News on Monday, July 13, 2026, Trump made the remarks while answering questions about the Iran conflict after a signing ceremony that reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah.
Trump said Iran had followed the same negotiating pattern for 47 years, claiming it repeatedly agreed to deals before withdrawing at the last moment. He alleged that a recent tentative agreement also collapsed after Iran objected to certain terms.
“The difference is nobody negotiated like I do. And this should have been done by Bush and Obama and Biden and people before them. Frankly, it’s 47 years they’ve been ripping off everybody and really hurting, killing thousands of people,” Trump said.
The President argued that former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden should have taken a tougher stance against Iran, accusing the country of destabilising the region for decades.
Trump also referred to the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, saying Soleimani was responsible for attacks that injured and killed American service members. He claimed Iran’s current military and political weakening was a result of the pressure applied by his administration.
Trump added that the ongoing campaign was intended to end what he described as Iran’s longstanding pattern of behaviour, despite the two sides agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire and signing a memorandum of understanding to begin negotiations.
