Trump's Iran framework draws backlash from some Republicans: 'worst foreign policy blunder'
Trump's 14-point Iran memorandum has drawn sharp criticism from some Republican senators. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy called the deal "the worst foreign policy blunder in decades". The White House said it would forward the full text to Congress on Friday.
President Donald Trump's 14-point memorandum, signed on Tuesday night with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at Versailles, has triggered a serious Republican debate. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy called it "the worst foreign policy blunder in decades", while Florida Senator Marco Rubio cited "deeply concerning details", reflecting tension on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The memorandum sets out a phased lifting of US secondary sanctions on Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has accepted limited International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections at the Natanz and Fordow facilities. The Republican objection from Cassidy and others centres on the verification regime being looser than under the 2015 P5+1 nuclear deal — and on Iran's ballistic missile development capacity having been left fully exempt.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the deal as "important in stopping the war" but said his support would be conditional on "detailed verification". Brent crude held near $71 a barrel in pre-market trading. Halliburton (HAL) and Chevron (CVX) shares were down 0.4% in pre-market. ICE Brent long-dated futures are trading in a $68-72 range through to end-2027.
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