Key Senate Republicans aren't impressed with the shaky Iran peace deal

WASHINGTON – After finally getting their hands on physical copies of the U.S.-Iran deal this week, Senate Republicans haven't exactly been rejoicing.

In fact, some are doing little to hide their skepticism – and, in some cases, outright frustration – with the memorandum of understanding, which White House officials hope to spin into a more lasting peace agreement and nuclear accord.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, a noted political foe of President Donald Trump's, said "Reagan is rolling over in his grave." He called the pact, as currently laid out, the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades."

That was before Vice President JD Vance on Friday abruptly canceled his trip to Switzerland for peace talks. Then, a day later, Iran's armed forces vowed again to close the Strait of Hormuz, citing ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon that the Islamic Republic said violated terms of the ceasefire.

Even beyond Cassidy, more Trump-friendly GOP lawmakers have expressed wariness in recent days about elements of the seemingly tenuous pact.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a proposed $300 billion economic development fund for Iran would make similar payoffs under former President Barack Obama’s 2015 deal "look like a pittance by comparison."

"I am concerned that the memorandum of understanding negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the President’s goals," he said in a statement.

Vance pushed back on Wicker's argument in a Saturday morning interview on "Fox & Friends."

"I think that he's wrong on this," Vance said. "Roger, in some ways, has made the mistake of some of the Democrats who have criticized this, which is that they assume that Iran gets the benefits without changing their behavior. That's not in the text of the agreement. That's not in the substance of any of the conversations that we've had."

Wicker isn't the only Capitol Hill Republican holding off on praising the White House. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on his podcast Wednesday that the U.S. should be wary of letting any money approved under a peace deal go toward replenishing Iranian military capabilities.

"My message is: We have defeated their military. Don’t suddenly come in with massive buckets of cash to let them rebuild and become a threat to America," Cruz said.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, added to the chorus of tepid unease, saying she wanted more details.

"I commend President Trump for taking decisive action with the goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons capability," she said in a statement. "After much progress, I’m urging the administration to not lose sight of that objective. The president has put us in a position of strength. We cannot afford to squander it."

Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.