Topline
President Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday that a peace deal with Iran was being finalized exposed a major division among Republicans, who attacked each other on social media—at times with profanity-laden name-calling—as the anti-war wing of the party lauded a potential end to the war while others suggested a deal maintaining the regime would be a failure for the U.S.
Key Facts
Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday the deal had been “largely negotiated,” adding final details were being discussed and would be announced “shortly.”
Outside of noting the deal would include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route responsible for roughly 25% of the world’s oil flow, Trump did not provide many details on what the peace agreement would entail.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said if the agreement “allows the regime to survive and become more powerful over time, we will have poured gasoline on the conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq,” adding it could potentially “put Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Shia militias in Iraq on steroids.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was “deeply concerned” about what he has heard about the potential peace deal and that he prayed early reports about its details were wrong, saying the outcome of the agreement “could be a disastrous mistake,” while Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said a “rumored 60-day ceasefire” with Iran “would be a disaster,” saying the military operation in Iran that began nearly three months ago “would be for naught!”
The White House fiercely fired back at one notable GOP critic—former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung saying Pompeo “has no idea what the f— he’s talking about” and “should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.”
MAGA firebrand and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said of Graham and others pushing against the deal, “If they are complaining publicly, it’s guaranteed they are calling and texting the President and complaining even more directly,” while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said “critics” should “give President Trump the space to find an American First solution.”
Fiery Attacks Traded Over Possible Iran Deal
British media personality Piers Morgan was among many attacking Fox News host and Iran deal critic Mark Levin, saying it “Looks like President Trump has thankfully stopped listening to war hawks like you.” To which Levin replied: “What are you 5 years old a——-. You should be happy, by most accounts. We shall see how this plays out over time. And nobody ever controlled the President, dumb s—.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., tweeted: “Notice how the war shills in DC are trying to undercut POTUS’ negotiations with Iran. Are we not supposed to engage in peace talks? What is wrong with you people.”
What We Know About The Peace Deal
While Trump has provided little details on the deal, the agreement reportedly involves a commitment from Iran to relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile, as well as the release of frozen Iranian assets worth billions of dollars, according to The New York Times. The assets will be released in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to negotiate Iran’s nuclear program, The Guardian reported.
Key Background
The war in Iran has continued for nearly three months, far longer than Trump’s initial estimate that the conflict would last four to five weeks. At least 13 U.S. service members have died in the war, which Trump has justified by claiming Iran was weeks away from establishing a nuclear weapon before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Tehran. Trump has also prioritized the opening of the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict, as its closure has led to a massive spike in fuel prices. The president failed to rally commitments from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to help the U.S. secure the strait, which is still partially locked down by Iranian forces. As Iran has floated a toll system for the trade route, the Trump administration has sought a free passage.
Further Reading
Trump Says Agreement To End Iran War Is ‘Largely Negotiated’ (Forbes)
