‘Ill-advised’, ‘worst foreign policy mistake in decades’: Here’s how Republicans reacted to Trump’s Iran interim deal | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump’s troubles over his interim peace deal with Iran are mounting. For the past four months, his administration has faced questions about its rationale for waging war against Iran alongside Israel in late February — a conflict that sent gasoline prices soaring. On Thursday (local time), the tentative agreement he signed in Versailles, France, drew sharp criticism from his own Republican party.
According to a Reuters report, several Republican senators and pro-Republican commentators openly questioned the deal, which Trump signed on Wednesday night while attending a Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. As copies of the memorandum of understanding circulated on Capitol Hill, Republican lawmakers chimed in, calling the deal “reckless” and “the worst foreign policy mistake in decades.”
Read also | US-Iran peace deal: Trump signs MoU in Versailles, White House confirms
As copies of the signed deal circulated around Capitol Hill on Thursday, Republican senators attacked the administration. They called the deal “the worst foreign policy mistake in decades”, while some pro-Republican commentators split with the US president over the deal.
Here’s how Republicans reacted to the US-Iran Interim Deal
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Republican senators criticized Trump’s interim deal with Iran, calling it “reckless” and “the worst foreign policy mistake in decades.” They expressed concern about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the implications for American military success.
Republicans express concern that the deal could strengthen Iran’s position while undermining U.S. military achievements. They fear that sanctions could be lifted without sufficient safeguards regarding Iran’s nuclear activities.
Trump defended the interim deal by saying it averted economic disaster and argued the deal would help stabilize oil prices and the stock market, despite criticism from Republicans and Israeli officials.
Some Republican lawmakers say the U.S. should not ease military pressure on Iran or allow it to negotiate from a position of strength, while opponents emphasize the need for regional stability and continued vigilance.
The interim US-Iran deal includes the lifting of US sanctions, recognition of Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to military action, with a 60-day period for further negotiations on broader issues such as nuclear restrictions.
According to one of the senators, some of the announced provisions in the US-Iran deal seemed “unreasonable”.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana wrote in a post on X: “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have not been curbed and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly use it in the future.” He added that before the war, the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key oil shipping routes, was open to all and the Islamic Republic faced severe sanctions. However, he wrote: “Now 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted and the bombing will stop. This is the worst foreign policy mistake in decades.”
The Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said he was concerned the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was “negotiating” US military achievements. While he opposed the lifting of any sanctions against the Islamic Republic or the unfreezing of Iranian funds, “in exchange for Iran simply agreeing to negotiate for another 60 days,” he also added that it would be a mistake to pressure Israel to confront Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who is leaving Congress, said, “Everything I’ve heard about this has troubled me,” CNN reported. While Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, “It’s hard to say that the deal is one that leaves Iran worse off and the United States better off,” adding, “a lot of money was spent, some lives were lost, and yet you have Iran in a place where it almost looks like it’s where it was before.”
The criticism from Republicans was a rare rebuke from party members who have mostly shown total loyalty to Trump but have grown increasingly uneasy recently as the economic fallout from the Iran war affects the party’s prospects ahead of the November election.
Read also | US-Iran News LIVE: JD Vance postpones trip to Switzerland for talks in Tehran
Donald Trump, JD Vance defend Iran deal, criticize critics
In the Truth Social post, Trump hit back at critics and defended the interim deal with Iran. He wrote: “These fools who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran when the stock market just hit a RECORD HIGH and oil prices are ‘going down’ are either jealous, bad people or stupid. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Vice President JD Vance also downplayed the importance of opposition coming from Capitol Hill, CNN reported.
During a White House briefing, Vance said, “I think I would tell anybody that any of the critics are: First of all, have some faith in the president of the United States. The idea that he’s going to make a deal that was bad for the American people is absurd,” later adding, “I don’t think our public messaging has been chaotic.”
