Trump allies cheer Iran deal announcement as Democrats call for clarity
US and Iran say memorandum of understanding to be signed on Friday, but no official terms yet released. Washington, DC – A newly struck deal
US and Iran say memorandum of understanding to be signed on Friday, but no official terms yet released. Washington, DC – A newly struck deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran is being hailed as a strategic victory by US President Donald Trump and his allies, though the specific terms of the agreement remain unknown. Praise from supporters poured in for the US president on Sunday, despite questions over which commitments would be included in the initial memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be signed on Friday, and which issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, would only be opened for negotiations after the deal is inked. US Vice President JD Vance pointed to falling oil prices in the immediate aftermath of the announcement as he touted what a “new era” for the Middle East. “What the president has done is create the real space to transform that region,” he told Fox News, adding, “I think we can safely say, with confidence, that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected the announcement to Trump’s 80th birthday on Sunday. “America is lucky to have a leader with such incredible courage, remarkable strength, an unmatched sense of humor, and an unparalleled love of country,” he wrote on X. Several Republicans took to social media to hail Trump as the “deal-maker in chief”. Congressman Robert Aderholt echoed Trump’s claims that a pending deal with Iran would place more limits on Tehran’s nuclear programme than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That deal, from which Trump withdrew in 2018, was reached under the administration of US President Barack Obama. It saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran has for years maintained that it does not seek a nuclear weapon.
“Unlike the agreement reached under the Obama administration, this deal will not allow Iran to continue enriching uranium and build up the components necessary to build a nuclear weapon,” Aderholt said. But there was no indication that the memorandum would include any immediate commitments on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Both sides have said the initial deal would halt fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Trump’s announcement came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the deal on X. “Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Sharif wrote. US, Pakistani and Iranian officials have also said that the signing of the deal would resume traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports. But Iranian officials have for days said the initial agreement would only serve as a launching point for 60 days of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as other deeply entrenched issues, including the future administration of the strait. Both sides have also offered varying accounts on when the US would begin releasing frozen assets and lift sanctions as part of any agreement. US officials have maintained that those actions would not be immediate and would occur only if certain commitments are met after a deal is signed. US Senator Lindsey Graham, who has long been a supporter of harsh military action against Iran, was among those celebrating the apparent breakthrough on Sunday. Still, he pointed to the divergence in US and Iranian messaging. “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” he wrote in a post on X.
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