US President Donald Trump’s interim deal with Iran has triggered sharp criticism from within his own party, with Republicans charging that the deal squanders vast sums of taxpayer money while failing to meaningfully restrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The 14‑point memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed Wednesday, commits both sides to an “immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts,” including Lebanon.
Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, closed since late February, while Washington pledged to work out a plan to provide $300bn for reconstruction and development in Iran. Tehran also promised not to “procure or develop nuclear weapons.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, who recently lost a primary bid for a third term, branded the MoU “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” adding on X: “Reagan is rolling over in his grave.”
He argued Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain unchecked and that Tehran has learned to exploit threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
Kentucky Senator Thomas Massie, defeated in a primary by Trump‑backed Ed Gallrein, attacked the $300bn aid package, noting it is five times the annual US spending on roads and bridges.
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley also condemned the plan, saying Iran’s regime “chants death to America, murders our troops, and attempts assassinations on US soil,” yet now stands to receive billions in assistance and sanctions relief.
The deal has drawn comparisons to Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear accord, which Trump abandoned in 2018, claiming it enriched Iran and enabled malign activity.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said the new MoU “smacks of appeasement,” urging instead a pact that dismantles Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, ends support for proxies, and secures the Strait. “Failing that, we should let our Armed Forces finish the job on our terms,” he wrote.
Senator Ted Cruz defended the MoU against parallels with Obama’s deal but warned against financing Iran’s recovery. “We have destroyed their military, and we should not fund the rebuild,” he said.
