Trump’s New Battle: Political Blowback Over Iran

The White House has finalized a 60-day ceasefire deal with Iran that lifts the U.S. naval blockade and allows Iran to resume selling oil on the global market — and the political fallout is already hitting hard. "Giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is an exceptionally bad idea," one Republican critic said, capturing the mood among a growing number of GOP lawmakers who are furious about what they see as a lopsided agreement. The deal is signed and taking effect, but the political battles for the White House are just beginning.

The Iran Deal and the Republican Backlash

The memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran has been signed by both countries, and the policy part is done. The U.S. military lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and commercial vessels have started moving again. But the political blowback is mounting fast. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Armed Services Committee, issued a blistering statement calling the deal "completely out of step with the president's goals." Other prominent Republicans — Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee — have all voiced concerns that Iran stands to benefit financially before making any concrete nuclear commitments.