Trump Iran memorandum faces Republican criticism over reconstruction funds
Republican critics say the interim pact gives Tehran too much while leaving its nuclear programme largely untouched.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
President Donald Trump’s interim memorandum with Iran is drawing criticism from some Republicans over its reconstruction funding and nuclear terms. The backlash matters because it puts Trump at odds with members of his own party on a major Middle East agreement.
According to Al Jazeera, the United States and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on Wednesday. The document commits both countries to an “immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts,” including in Lebanon.
Under the agreement, Al Jazeera reported, Iran agreed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which had been effectively closed since late February. Washington pledged to “develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan” to provide $300bn for Iran’s reconstruction and development.
The memorandum also includes an Iranian pledge not to “procure or develop nuclear weapons,” according to Al Jazeera.
Republican criticism
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and occasional critic of Trump, attacked the memorandum after recently losing a primary bid for a third Senate term. Cassidy called it “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades” in a post on X.
“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Cassidy wrote, referring to former President Ronald Reagan. He said Iran’s nuclear goals had not been restrained and argued that Tehran had learned it could gain concessions by threatening the Strait of Hormuz.
Cassidy also objected to the reconstruction component, saying Iran would receive new infrastructure under the deal. His criticism centered on the claim that the agreement rewards Tehran without meaningfully limiting its nuclear programme.
Thomas Massie, identified by Al Jazeera as a Republican senator from Kentucky, also criticized the $300bn assistance plan. He said the amount was five times what Congress spends each year on roads and bridges.
Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, questioned the decision to help Iran rebuild after what Al Jazeera described as nearly four months of war. “This regime chants death to America, murders our troops, and attempts to assassinate Americans on US soil,” Haley wrote on X.
Haley said Iran’s leaders believe they have a duty to destroy the United States. She criticized what she described as plans to unlock billions of dollars, lift sanctions and promise more money.
Comparisons to the Obama-era accord
The memorandum has prompted comparisons with the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement reached under former President Barack Obama. Under that earlier agreement, Iran accepted limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 deal in 2018, saying at the time that it had “enriched the Iranian regime and enabled its malign behaviour,” Al Jazeera reported.
Mike Pence, Trump’s first vice president, said Wednesday that the new memorandum “does smack of the kind of appeasement that our administration rejected in the Obama-Iran nuclear deal.” Pence said the United States should seek terms requiring Iran to dismantle its nuclear and missile programmes, end support for “terrorist proxies” and open the strait.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas rejected comparisons with the Obama deal but warned against paying for Iran’s recovery. “I do want to urge the president not to give up the victory; we have destroyed their military, and we should not fund the rebuild,” Cruz wrote on X.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.