UMVA has learned that a growing rebellion is brewing among Republicans over President Trump's recent deal with Iran, with lawmakers expressing alarm that the agreement could undermine the very objectives it was meant to achieve.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, a top Republican in the Senate, has publicly denounced the deal, warning that it "negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the president's goals." Wicker specifically took issue with a proposed $300 billion fund for Iran's reconstruction and economic development, which he said would make Iran's payoff under a previous deal look like a pittance by comparison.
The fund, which would be developed in coordination with regional partners, has given Republicans heartburn, with some comparing it to the billions that flowed to Iran under a previous administration. Wicker also criticized the lifting of sanctions on Iran and the pressure on Israel to stand down against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization.
"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." He expressed hope that the intermediaries working on the deal are not undermining President Trump's objective of pursuing peace through strength.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Wicker isn't alone in his concerns, with Sen. Ted Cruz warning that "giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is an exceptionally bad idea." Cruz compared the fund to billions shipped to Iran under a previous administration, which he charged was a "catastrophic foreign policy" decision that funded terrorism across the globe.
"If we give billions of dollars to Iran, that money will be used to murder Americans," Cruz said. "And so I don't believe we should do that. And the idea that we would have effectively a Marshall plan for Iran and come in and rebuild Iran after they've been the leading state sponsor of terrorism for 47 years — they've murdered nearly a thousand Americans — I don't think that makes any sense."
In a defensive move, Vice President JD Vance, the public face of the deal, argued that the fund would only be accessible to Iran if they comply fully and change their behavior. "So you really have a win-win situation for the United States of America," Vance said, attempting to downplay concerns about the deal.
