Topline<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump\u2019s announcement Saturday that a peace deal with Iran was being finalized exposed a major division among Republicans, who attacked each other on social media\u2014at times with profanity-laden name-calling\u2014as the anti-war wing of the party lauded a potential end to the war while others suggested a deal maintaining the regime would be a failure for the U.S.<\/p>\n
Trump said the agreement with Iran is “largely negotiated.”<\/p>\n
Photo by Al Drago for The Washington Post via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday the deal had been \u201clargely negotiated,\u201d adding final details were being discussed and would be announced \u201cshortly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside of noting the deal would include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route responsible for roughly 25% of the world\u2019s oil flow, Trump did not provide many details on what the peace agreement would entail.<\/p>\n
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said<\/a> if the agreement \u201callows the regime to survive and become more powerful over time, we will have poured gasoline on the conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq,\u201d adding it could potentially \u201cput Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Shia militias in Iraq on steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d about what he has heard about the potential peace deal and that he prayed early reports about its details were wrong, saying the outcome of the agreement \u201ccould be a disastrous mistake,\u201d while Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said a \u201crumored 60-day ceasefire\u201d with Iran \u201cwould be a disaster,\u201d saying the military operation in Iran that began nearly three months ago \u201cwould be for naught!\u201d<\/p>\n The White House fiercely fired back at one notable GOP critic\u2014former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo\u2014with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung saying Pompeo \u201chas no idea what the f\u2014 he\u2019s talking about\u201d and \u201cshould shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n MAGA firebrand and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said of Graham and others pushing against the deal, \u201cIf they are complaining publicly, it\u2019s guaranteed they are calling and texting the President and complaining even more directly,\u201d while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said \u201ccritics\u201d should \u201cgive President Trump the space to find an American First solution.\u201d<\/p>\n Fiery Attacks Traded Over Possible Iran Deal<\/p>\n British media personality Piers Morgan was among many attacking Fox News host and Iran deal critic Mark Levin, saying it \u201cLooks like President Trump has thankfully stopped listening to war hawks like you.\u201d To which Levin replied<\/a>: \u201cWhat are you 5 years old a\u2014\u2014-. You should be happy, by most accounts. We shall see how this plays out over time. And nobody ever controlled the President, dumb s\u2014.\u201d Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., tweeted<\/a>: \u201cNotice how the war shills in DC are trying to undercut POTUS\u2019 negotiations with Iran. Are we not supposed to engage in peace talks? What is wrong with you people.\u201d<\/p>\n What We Know About The Peace Deal<\/p>\n While Trump has provided little details on the deal, the agreement reportedly involves a commitment from Iran to relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile, as well as the release of frozen Iranian assets worth billions of dollars, according to The New York Times<\/a>. The assets will be released in exchange for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to negotiate Iran\u2019s nuclear program, The Guardian<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n The war in Iran has continued for nearly three months, far longer than Trump\u2019s initial estimate that the conflict would last four to five weeks. At least 13 U.S. service members have died in the war, which Trump has justified by claiming Iran was weeks away from establishing a nuclear weapon before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Tehran. Trump has also prioritized the opening of the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict, as its closure has led to a massive spike in fuel prices. The president failed to rally commitments from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to help the U.S. secure the strait, which is still partially locked down by Iranian forces. As Iran has floated a toll system for the trade route, the Trump administration has sought a free passage. <\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n