Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana panned President Trump’s first-stage peace deal with Iran on Wednesday, calling it “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”
Mr. Cassidy, a Republican who lost his Senate primary after falling out of favor with Mr. Trump, said former President Ronald Reagan is “rolling over in his grave” over the memorandum of understanding that offers economic benefits to Tehran and defers thorny decisions about Iran’s nuclear program.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal,” Mr. Cassidy said on X.
Mr. Trump offered a vocal defense of his deal during a press conference in France on Wednesday.
He said Iran will not see any benefits from the deal unless it forfeits aspirations for a nuclear weapon and meets every detail of the agreement.
Mr. Cassidy, who angered Mr. Trump by voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial, said the deal offers too many upfront concessions. He also said the months-long war proved Tehran could use the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint, as leverage.
“Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” Mr. Cassidy said. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”
Other critics raised the same concerns.
The U.S. and Iran are expected to sign a final version of the deal by Friday.
Members of Congress were kept in the dark about the deal until Wednesday, even though it was agreed to last weekend.
Vice President J.D. Vance said Middle East partners, including Qatar and Pakistan, were the ones who wanted to delay the text’s release.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and national security hawk, said the deal opened the door to a positive outcome.
“Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying,” he wrote on X. “The economic stability that comes from opening up the Strait and the cessation of hostilities could create a pathway to peace well beyond the Iranian conflict.”
Democrats, meanwhile, faulted Mr. Trump for keeping Congress in the dark about the fine print.
“Trump must brief Congress, release the official text of the ‘understanding,’ disclose any secret side deals to the public immediately, and end this war now,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.
For months, Democrats have criticized the Iran conflict as a “war of choice” that increased economic pain on everyday Americans through higher gas prices, while failing to result in anything better than President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Mr. Trump, who withdrew from that deal in his first term, will guarantee that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and will be enforced through military bombing if Tehran gets out of line.
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