Trump Claims Credit for Installing Syria's President, Warns Iran Must Negotiate
President Donald Trump said he essentially made Ahmad al-Sharaa Syria’s president, praised his approach toward the Kurds, warned Iran that negotiation is its only option, and defended imposing new 10 percent global tariffs.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Speaking from the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump declared that he had essentially installed Ahmad al-Sharaa as president of Syria, describing him as a leader undertaking “a phenomenal job”.
Addressing developments in western Kurdistan (Northern Syria), Trump emphasized that relations are progressing positively, adding: “So far, the Syrian president has been very good toward the Kurds.”
He also said: “I can say is that the President of Syria, who I essentially put there, is doing a phenomenal job. He's a rough guy. He's not a choir boy. A choir boy couldn't do it. But Syria is coming together, really coming together well.”
Turning to Iran, Trump asserted that within a very short period, 32,000 people had been killed in Iran, referring to what he described as internal repression in the country.
The US president warned that Tehran’s only option is negotiation and said: “they better negotiate a fair deal. They better negotiate.”
He also said: “They were going to hang 800, two weeks ago, hang... hang... some by crane. They lift them up with a tall crane and they play them around the square. They were going to hang 837 people. And I gave them the word: if you hang one person, even one person, that you're going to be hit right then and there. I wasn't waiting two weeks and negotiating”
Trump’s remarks came after the US Supreme Court overturned customs tariffs. In a press conference, he launched sharp criticism against the justices, saying the court’s decision on tariffs was “very disappointing” and expressing shame at what he described as a lack of courage among some members to make the right decision for the country.
“I believe the court has fallen under the influence of external interests and a small political movement,” he said.
Trump claimed that through those tariffs he had prevented the outbreak of eight wars. At the same time, he announced that he would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on all countries worldwide, stressing that US revenues would increase as a result of the decision.
Regarding the impact of the ruling on other countries, Trump said: “Those countries that have been cutting us off and deceiving us for years are now flying with joy and dancing in the streets. But I assure you, their dancing will not last long.”
Defending his tariff policy, Trump argued that it played a role in global stability. “I have settled eight wars and brought them to an end. Like it or not, tariffs were used to end five of those wars, including the dispute between India and Pakistan, which was a major conflict that could have become a nuclear war,” he said. He also claimed that tariffs reduced the flow of the narcotic fentanyl by 30 percent.
Trump further criticized Democratic judges, describing them as consistently voting “no” on anything that would strengthen the United States. He also expressed pride that the US stock market recorded benchmark figures during his tenure.
The remarks underscored Trump’s firm defense of his foreign and economic policies, linking tariff measures to both international conflict resolution and domestic economic performance.