Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Thursday said the $300 billion fund for Iran’s reconstruction included in the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington makes the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement brokered by former President Barack Obama look like “a pittance.”
In a statement, Wicker said he has been supportive of President Donald Trump’s operations in Iran, but warned the agreements in the MOU could undermine the success of Operation Epic Fury.
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“Specifically, the $300 billion fund for reconstruction and economic development of Iran — though not funded by U.S. taxpayers — would make Iran’s payoff under President Obama’s 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison,” Wicker said.
Officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have disputed the idea that the United States will pay into the reconstruction fund, instead saying that “regional partners” will be responsible for contributing.
Under Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran regained access to roughly $50 to $100 billion in frozen assets.
Trump pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 and has continued to call the deal unsuccessful, but Wicker is not convinced that Trump outdid Obama with the MOU to end the Iran war.
The Magnolia State senator further criticized the agreement for “forcing Israel to stand down against Hezbollah,” as the MOU agrees to end all hostilities in the region, specifically noting Lebanon. He added that he is opposed to lifting sanctions on Tehran and unfreezing its assets “in exchange for Iran’s mere agreement to negotiate for another 60 days.”
“The Iranian regime has not renounced its ultimate goal — ‘Death to America, Death to Israel,'” Wicker said. “The regime will invest every penny it receives to further that aim.”
Wicker is the most recent addition to a growing list of GOP lawmakers who are skeptical, if not outright opposed, to the MOU. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who has grown increasingly critical of the Trump administration, called the deal the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”
‘HAVE A LITTLE FAITH’: VANCE TELLS REPUBLICAN CRITICS OF IRAN DEAL TO TRUST THE PROCESS
Conservative commentator and Trump ally Mark Levin also voiced his opposition to the agreement, arguing it benefits Iran more than the U.S.
Vance, on Thursday, attempted to calm Republicans’ anxieties, telling them to “have a little faith” in Trump’s deal. The vice president is set to lead the U.S. side through the next phase of talks.
