Washington Divided Over Trump’s Iran Deal, with Critics Calling It a Surrender

The U.S. agreement with Iran, signed overnight between Sunday and Monday, triggered sharp reactions in Washington. While many lawmakers in both parties welcomed the end of the war through diplomacy, prominent Republicans and Democrats blasted the terms of the deal and debated whether Congress should have the final say.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and one of the Republican Party’s most hawkish and pro-Israel voices, said on X that he was worried Iran’s interpretation of the deal differed from the version presented by the American negotiating team. He emphasized that Vice President J. D. Vance, not President Donald Trump, was the deal’s “architect,” and warned that any nuclear agreement with Iran should be brought to Congress for a vote. Sen. James Lankford told NBC it would be “better” if Congress ratified any final deal, saying such approval would make it more “lasting.” Former Vice President Mike Pence said it was “better no deal than a bad deal,” and Sen. John Cornyn shared a post saying, “Not a single cent should be released to this murderous regime” while it continues missile development and support for its terror proxies. Conservative commentator Mark Levin also attacked the agreement, questioning how any deal could work after “47 years” of dealing with Iran.

Some of the Republican Party’s most hawkish senators, including Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, were notably silent in the hours after the announcement. The article also notes that many Republicans had recently pressed Trump to end the conflict quickly, because the war is unpopular and politically damaging.

Democrats also criticized the agreement’s terms while backing an end to the fighting. Sen. Chris Murphy called it “surrender to Iran” and said its terms were “Iran’s terms,” but added that ending the “destructive war” was good even if the conditions were humiliating. Sen. Chris Coons said Trump’s announcement was a step toward ending the “reckless war he started,” arguing that the conflict had made American troops and civilians less safe and left major questions unanswered. Former President Barack Obama, who signed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, said he doubted any new agreement would differ much from the original deal until the United States withdrew from it. Sen. Ruben Gallego mocked Trump’s deal as “the 2015 nuclear deal from Temu.”