WASHINGTON — Despite President Donald Trump framing the peace deal with Iran as a success for the United States, Republicans on Capitol Hill are skeptical about exactly who benefits from the agreement.
“It’s a very strong deal,” Trump said at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, before a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. “Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong.”
Republicans’ response is mixed, partly, due to the text of the the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries not being released.
The White House defended the agreement in a statement, saying it strengthens U.S. interests and national security and will help drive down energy costs.
“Following the historic destruction of Iran’s military capabilities through the successful Operation Epic Fury, President Trump and his negotiating team have brokered an excellent MOU that advances the interests of the United States by ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to significantly lower energy prices, and forcing Iran to commit to abandon its nuclear ambitions,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said. “What the President has achieved on the battlefield and at the negotiating table is nothing short of remarkable and will strengthen American security for many years to come.”
Reports suggest that in order for the U.S. to get Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions, they will be getting money in return. The Wall Street Journal reported that sanctions on Iranian oil would be lifted immediately as part of the MOU.
“If this is true, Iran wins,” Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s first term, wrote on X on Tuesday. “There should be zero sanctions relief day one.”
The memorandum released by the White House includes an agreement by the U.S. to waive sanctions on Iranian oil, which a senior administration official said Wednesday would end an effective subsidy for China to buy oil from Iran.
