Trump Pushes a Tougher Endgame Deal, Tells Asian Allies to Raise Defense Spending

Ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran are wobbling at the final hurdle. After Donald Trump personally blocked the ceasefire memorandum of understanding that the two sides had provisionally agreed on, the negotiations have entered a phase of revision. As Washington presses for the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and for Iran’s denuclearization, it is also calling on Asian allies to raise defense spending and share more of the military burden.
■ Trump rejects draft of Iran ceasefire deal
According to The New York Times on the 30th local time, Trump did not approve the draft ceasefire MOU prepared by U.S. and Iranian officials. Instead, he drafted revisions and sent them back to the Iranian side. The two countries had initially reached a provisional agreement on a draft that included extending the ceasefire and opening talks on denuclearization, with only Trump’s final approval remaining.
Local media reported that the draft included a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz, efforts to reach a denuclearization agreement during the ceasefire period, and discussions on sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
Trump was said to be particularly dissatisfied with the provisions on releasing frozen Iranian assets and easing sanctions. He previously criticized the Iran nuclear deal signed under the Obama administration as "a deal that gave the United States too many concessions" and withdrew from it in 2018. Washington believes Iran is dragging out the negotiations. As a result, it is reportedly pressing the camp of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, with tougher terms than those in the original agreement.
The biggest sticking points in the talks are the nuclear issue and control of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States says the strait must be restored as an international waterway that all countries can use freely, as it was before the war. Iran, by contrast, is trying to retain the control it secured over the strait during the conflict.
Pete Hegseth, the United States Department of Defense secretary, said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that "the strait must remain open to the world and there should be no tolls." The United States recently designated the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), established by Iran, as a sanctions target and also banned U.S. companies and individuals from negotiating over tolls.
Iran, however, insists that it has authority over the management of the strait. It is also pushing ahead with plans to levy tolls on ships to help finance postwar reconstruction. War reparations are unlikely to be accepted by the United States, but maintaining the strait management system would provide a stable source of funds.
Both sides are continuing military pressure alongside the talks. Hegseth stressed that "the maritime blockade against Iran remains ironclad" and that "we are ready to intervene again at any time if necessary." In fact, CENTCOM fired a missile at a Gambian-flagged merchant vessel heading to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman on the same day. The U.S. military said the ship had violated the maritime blockade measures.
■ Asia allies told to increase defense spending
The United States also pressed Asian allies to raise defense spending and share more of the security burden. In his Shangri-La Dialogue speech, Hegseth again urged allies and partner countries to increase defense budgets to 3.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Referring to South Korea, which recently decided to raise defense spending to that level, he praised its "pragmatism and leadership."
Japanese media said the remarks could also affect discussions on Japan’s three major security documents, including the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program, all of which are slated for revision later this year. Japan is currently considering whether to further increase defense spending, which stands at about 2% of GDP. Within the ruling LDP, there are growing calls to discuss the size of any increase by referring to NATO members and cases such as South Korea and Australia. Still, Shinjirō Koizumi, Japan’s Minister of Defense, said after meeting Hegseth that it was "a matter for the Japanese government to decide independently."
The Yomiuri Shimbun noted that concerns are growing over a power vacuum in East Asia as the United States concentrates its military power in the Middle East. It also said that the issue of Taiwan arms sales, raised as a bargaining chip during the recent U.S.-China summit, has heightened vigilance among Japanese security officials.
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter