Time Magazine is reporting that President Donald Trump's new agreement with Iran is generating more alarm than relief among Republicans in Washington. The magazine said that even before the official text was released, leaked details caused nervousness among GOP members, particularly regarding provisions allowing Iran to sell oil, lifting sanctions, and a $300 billion economic development deal.
The agreement, described as a 60-day ceasefire extendable by mutual consent, aims to facilitate talks on Iran's nuclear program. Time noted that many in Washington are unenthusiastic about the deal, with some national security experts on Capitol Hill privately comparing it to the early stages of the Obama administration's comprehensive agreement, which Trump previously abandoned.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, offered cautious support, acknowledging the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the cessation of hostilities. However, he immediately added a caveat, stating that whether an acceptable and verifiable deal on Iran's nuclear program can be reached is "yet to be determined." Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, was more critical, calling the deal "the worst foreign policy blunder in decades." He pointed to American casualties, economic costs, and the lifting of sanctions, contrasting it with the situation before the recent conflict.
Nikki Haley, Trump's former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, expressed skepticism, writing on social media that "If this is true, Iran wins," referring to the immediate allowance for crude oil exports. Former Vice President Mike Pence told CNN the deal "smacks of appeasement."
Time also highlighted that the agreement, set to be signed in Switzerland, does not address several critical issues, including human rights in Iran, the detention of Americans, Iran's support for proxy groups like Hezbollah, or a timeline for nuclear disarmament. Congress is expected to review the deal under a 2015 law, allowing 30 days to vote on a resolution of disapproval.