Trump's Iran Talks Split Republicans, as Hardliners Publicly Push Back

[Financial News, New York = Reporter Lee Byung-chul]U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a strong backlash within the Republican Party as he pushes to end the war with Iran and reach a nuclear deal. As speculation grew that Trump was close to a provisional agreement with Iran, including an extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and sanctions relief, Republican hardliners came out publicly, saying he was "giving Iran too much."
According to the Financial Times (FT), Reuters and others on the 24th local time, the Trump administration's negotiating team is currently coordinating a deal that would include extending the current ceasefire with Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and holding follow-up talks to dismantle Iran's nuclear program.
The proposal reportedly includes discussions on diluting or removing Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium from the country, while the United States would gradually ease sanctions on Iran and release some frozen overseas assets.
But the Republican Party saw a strong backlash. Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading hawk on foreign and security policy, criticized the move on social media, saying that if a deal with Iran ends up saving the regime and making it stronger over time, it would be like pouring fuel on the conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq.
He also said he was skeptical of claims that the United States cannot stop Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz and that regional countries cannot counter Iran's military power, stressing the need for a hard-line response.
Senator Ted Cruz also said he was "deeply concerned." He described Trump's decision to strike Iran as "the most significant decision of the second administration," but argued that if the result is to give the Iranian regime tens of billions of dollars and allow it to retain its uranium enrichment and nuclear development capabilities, it would be a catastrophic mistake.
Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also criticized the idea, saying that trusting a 60-day ceasefire and Iran's goodwill would be a disaster and could render all the gains from the U.S. military operation "Operation Epic Fury" meaningless.
Michael Richard Pompeo, who served as secretary of state in Trump's first administration, also said, "This is not 'America First' at all," arguing that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened, Iran's funding channels cut off, and its military capabilities eliminated so it can no longer threaten allies.
The White House immediately hit back. Steven Cheung, the White House Communications Director, used harsh language toward former Secretary Pompeo and told him to "let the professionals do the job."
Alex Brusewitz, a Trump campaign adviser, also criticized Senator Cruz, saying he was trying to shake up the president and the administration. Cruz then fired back, saying that political brokers pushing appeasement toward Iran do not help the president.
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pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter