President Donald Trump is telling his representatives not to “rush” into a deal with Iran, just a day after he had indicated an agreement was largely negotiated. This move comes as the proposed pact to end the Iran war faces significant pushback from fellow Republicans and conservative analysts who are worried about the terms.
Trump, who always says he only makes good deals and hates being seen as not having the upper hand in negotiations, quickly dismissed the objections. He took to his social media platform, saying the deal wasn’t “even fully negotiated yet.” He added, “So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about.” The President insisted that “Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” He also confirmed that a U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”
Many Republicans, however, are voicing strong concerns, ABC News reported. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, for example, called the decision to strike Iran the “most consequential” of Trump’s second term. He believes the President shouldn’t let up now. Cruz wrote on X, “If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime, still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’ now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.”
This was his reaction after Trump’s update following discussions with leaders from Israel and other U.S. allies
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is quite close to Trump, also panned any deal that would leave Iran looking like a dominant force in the region. He worries about Iran retaining its ability to destroy oil infrastructure throughout the Gulf. Senator Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned the value of a proposed 60-day ceasefire, calling it a “disaster.” Wicker, from Mississippi, said, “Everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!”
Mike Pompeo, one of Trump’s first-term secretaries of state, asserted on Saturday that the emerging deal seemed identical to the Obama-era agreement that Trump withdrew from. Pompeo stated on X, “Not remotely America First.”
This comment prompted a profanity-laced rejoinder from Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications. John Bolton, a national security adviser in the first term who has since become a critic of the president, wrote on X on Sunday, “If news reports about the impending Iran deal are correct, the ayatollahs will have won a significant victory. They will be back on the road to nuclear weapons, supporting global terrorism and repressing their own people.”
On the other hand, some support for Trump’s approach is coming from Capitol Hill. Kentucky’s GOP Senator Rand Paul, who has often been a bit of a maverick, defended the White House. Paul wrote on X, “War virtually always ends with negotiations. Critics of President Trump’s peace negotiations should give President Trump the space to find an American First solution.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also pushed back on Sunday during a diplomatic mission in India. He told reporters that no president has been stronger against Iran than Trump. Rubio emphasized, “His commitment to that principle that they’ll never have a nuclear weapon shouldn’t be questioned by anybody. And the idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd. That’s just not going to happen.”
The President said the deal he and his representatives are working out is “THE EXACT OPPOSITE” of the nuclear pact Iran agreed to under the Democratic Obama administration. Under the current proposal, the war would end, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday that the specific details and timelines would be finalized during a later 60-day window.
The war started when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Polls show it’s unpopular with the American public and has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $29 billion this month. Thirteen service members have been killed during the operation. Trump initially said the war would be over in four to six weeks, but the standoff continues. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global energy supplies transit, has really jolted the world economy, sending prices for gasoline and other goods climbing.
Even Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Trump antagonist who pushed legislation to restrain the president’s ability to wage war against Iran, offered a unique take. He said on Sunday that while the terms aren’t fully known, “if Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz are crashing out last night, I’d say it’s probably a pretty good deal.” Massie will leave Congress in January after losing his GOP primary last week to a Trump-backed challenger.
Published: May 25, 2026 06:30 pm