President Donald Trump has told the New York Times that if Iran fails to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran or make the United States the guardian of the Middle East in return for 20 per cent of the region’s revenues.

Trump told the Times in an interview that the agreement he reached with Iran would ultimately assure that the Strait of Hormuz is “permanently toll free” and argued that, despite the objections of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, he had saved Israel from nuclear obliteration.