But the conditions that were negotiated worry some Republican elected officials, who have bitter memories of the nuclear agreement concluded in 2015 with Iran by former Democratic President Barack Obama, considered too lax. This time, it is in particular the prospect of a reduction in sanctions against Iran and a reconstruction fund of hundreds of billions of dollars which arouses their concerns, especially since no firm commitment has been obtained by the Americans concerning the enrichment of uranium or Tehran’s support for allied armed groups.
“Pire Raté”
And if maritime traffic can resume freely in the Strait of Hormuz, it is only for a period of 60 days, beyond which Iran will apply “royalty fees” for the services provided during the passage. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy called this agreement “the worst foreign policy failure in decades.” “Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was crushed by sanctions and our 13 soldiers were still alive,” he continued. “Today, 13 Americans died, families paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted and the bombings have stopped,” added the Louisiana senator, in reference to American soldiers killed during the conflict.
Donald Trump, for his part, brushed aside the criticism, insults to back it up, presenting the text as the only way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil transited before the war. He also stressed that the agreement was not final, and warned that the United States could resume strikes if the negotiations failed, which should begin Thursday according to Vice-President JD Vance, and last 60 days.
“It’s a framework of agreement, and if I don’t like it, we will start shooting at them again and dropping bombs on their heads,” the Republican told journalists on Wednesday in Evian, France, where he was participating in the G7. “These imbeciles, who think that I have not been tough enough with Iran, while the stock market has just reached a HISTORICAL RECORD and oil prices are in the process of “falling”, are either jealous, or dishonest, or stupid,” he thundered Thursday on his Truth Social network.
“Une erreur”
Republican Senator Ted Cruz urged Donald Trump to “not give them mountains of cash to allow them to rebuild and become a threat to the United States again,” in reference to the $300 billion plan developed by the United States and its partners regional councils for the “reconstruction” and “economic development” of Iran. “I don’t want to see Islamists who want to kill us become more powerful. If this agreement brings them $300 billion, it’s a mistake,” he said on his podcast.
As for John Cornyn, a Texas senator, he fears that this agreement will be little more than an “interlude” which will allow Iran to reconstitute its arsenal and continue enriching uranium.
The leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, John Thune, was more cautious but said he needed answers on the question of whether the agreement concerns Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for groups in the region.
