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Top Republican decries Trump’s Iran deal: ‘Reagan is rolling over in his grave’
TL;DR
Senate Republicans criticize Trump's Iran deal, calling it a major foreign policy blunder. Senator Bill Cassidy claims the agreement fails to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and makes significant concessions.
Key points
- Senate Republicans criticize Trump's Iran deal.
- Bill Cassidy calls it a major foreign policy blunder.
- The deal makes significant concessions to Iran.
- Critics say it fails to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.
- The agreement allows Iran to build new infrastructure.
Mentioned in this story
Donald TrumpBill CassidyIran
A handful of Senate Republicans have sharply criticized the agreement Donald Trump reached with Iran, accusing the administration of committing “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades”.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration released the text of an interim deal between Washington and Tehran to end the 110-day conflict, framing it as a “major win” for the US – even as the 14-point accord made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”.
“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Republican senator Bill Cassidy declared, in a statement posted on X.
“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,” the outgoing Louisiana senator wrote. “Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.”
Senior administration officials said the deal would help prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, pointing to a concession in the MOU in which Iran sats its enriched uranium stockpile “will be destroyed” through “down-blending”. But critics argue that the deal achieves less than the one Barack Obama negotiated with Iran in 2015.
“Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” 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.”
Cassidy lost his primary last month when voters in Louisiana opted instead to advance two challengers to a runoff election after an extraordinary intervention by Trump to oust the incumbent. Trump has publicly feuded with Cassidy for years, after the Republican senator voted in favor of Trump’s conviction after the January 6 insurrection.
Before the Louisiana Senate primary election, Trump repeatedly disparaged Cassidy on social media, calling him “a disloyal disaster”.
Q&A
What are the main criticisms of Trump's Iran deal from Senate Republicans?
Senate Republicans, including Bill Cassidy, criticize the deal for making significant concessions to Iran and failing to curb its nuclear ambitions.
How does Trump's Iran deal compare to Obama's 2015 agreement?
Critics argue that Trump's deal achieves less than the 2015 agreement negotiated by Barack Obama, particularly in terms of limiting Iran's nuclear capabilities.
What concessions did the Trump administration make to Iran in the deal?
The deal includes political and financial concessions to Iran, allowing it to reopen the strait of Hormuz and build new infrastructure.
What does Senator Bill Cassidy mean by 'Reagan is rolling over in his grave'?
Cassidy's statement suggests that he believes the deal undermines the foreign policy principles established during Ronald Reagan's presidency.
