President Donald Trump said Saturday afternoon the most recent agreement to end the war in Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz and the ‘Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.”
The announcement came after it was reported Friday the Trump administration was preparing “for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran.” Iran closed its western airspace yesterday and will keep it closed until Monday.
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The United States and Iran have been unable to reach a peace agreement since the start of the war on Feb. 28, particularly due to conflicts over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route.
Trump said earlier Saturday he was “50/50” on a deal and would blow Iran “to kingdom come” if the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on X the reported deal is “not remotely America First.” He stated the U.S. should “Open the damned straight. Deny Iran access to money. Take out enough Iranian capability so it cannot threaten our allies in the region.”
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill also expressed concern about a deal before and after the announcement was made in the afternoon.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said the war would have been for nothing if the U.S. agreed to a deal, while Sen. Lindsey Graham said an agreement would further embolden Iran in the Middle East.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said on X he is “deeply concerned about what we are hearing about an Iran ‘deal,’ being pushed by some voices in the administration.” He said Trump was right to strike Iran, but “the outcome would be a disastrous mistake” if Tehran receives billions of dollars, continues to enrich uranium and develop nuclear weapons, and has effective control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran agreed to give up its enriched uranium in the deal, according to a report late Saturday night from the New York Times, which spoke with two U.S. officials.
The White House pushed back on these criticisms Saturday night. White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung responded to Pompeo by saying he has “no idea” what he’s talking about and that “he’s not read into anything that’s happening.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) also backed up the president, saying Trump is the “ONLY one who could have gotten Iran… to the negotiating table.”
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Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from other Middle Eastern countries. He stated the deal is “subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed.”
Trump said he spoke with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan concerning Iran “and all things related to a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE.”
