Trump Allies Rally Against Emerging Iran Deal: Could Be ‘Nightmare for Israel’

Senior Republican senators are warning that the emerging US-Iran agreement could leave Tehran strengthened in the region, after Iranian officials said nuclear issues are not part of the current stage of talks.

The criticism comes as US and Iranian officials signal progress toward a memorandum of understanding to end the war. President Donald Trump has said the deal would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but has not said whether it addresses Iran’s nuclear program or its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium.

Iranian officials have said the nuclear file is not part of the current negotiations.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the Senate’s strongest supporters of the US-Israeli war against Iran, warned that a deal allowing Tehran to retain the ability to threaten Gulf oil infrastructure and control the Strait of Hormuz would shift the regional balance of power.

“If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominant force requiring a diplomatic solution,” Graham wrote on X.

He said such an outcome would be “a nightmare for Israel.”

Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, separately warned that a reported 60-day ceasefire would be “a disaster” if it is based on the belief that Iran will negotiate in good faith.

“Everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught,” Wicker wrote, referring to the war by Washington’s official name for it.

On Friday, Wicker said Trump’s advisers appeared to be pushing him toward a deal “that would not be worth the paper it is written on,” rather than allowing him to “finish the job he started.”

Sen. Ted Cruz said he was “deeply concerned” by reports on the emerging agreement. Cruz said Trump had been right to strike Iran and that the military results were significant, but warned that an agreement leaving the Islamist regime with access to money, uranium enrichment and leverage over Hormuz would be “a disastrous mistake.”

Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo also criticized the reported terms, comparing them to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He said the US should force open the strait, deny Iran access to money and destroy enough Iranian capability to prevent threats to US allies.

The criticism reflects growing pressure on Trump from both sides of his party. Some Republicans want a harder military line, while others are trying to force an end to US involvement.

On Tuesday, the Senate advanced a war powers resolution that would require Trump to end hostilities with Iran unless Congress authorizes the war. Four Republicans joined Democrats in the 50-47 vote. A similar House vote was pulled by Republican leaders after Democrats said it appeared likely to pass.