Tangent
Under the agreement, the U.S. also agreed to unfreeze frozen or restricted Iranian funds and assets estimated to be worth $24 billion. However, Trump has said, “If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking [about unfreezing assets],” suggesting Iran will have to meet certain benchmarks during further peace negotiations to get their assets back.
Republican Reception Of The Peace Deal Is Mixed
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who initially expressed skepticism about the peace deal, said Wednesday the agreement will be beneficial for the U.S., adding whether the U.S. can reach an “acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on his podcast Wednesday it was an “incredibly foolish idea” and “utterly indefensible” for Iran to have access to $300 billion. Read more reactions from Trump’s allies here.
Key Background
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed an interim peace agreement Thursday, with the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency saying the memorandum of understanding ends the “imposed war waged by the US and the Israeli regime.” The U.S. has since lifted its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route that became a focal point of contention in the conflict. Iran has reaffirmed “it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons,” as part of the deal. Trump largely justified the war in Iran by claiming the country was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, though he downplayed Iran’s uranium material as “not really valuable” and claimed it was buried deep underground. While many details around Iran’s nuclear future will have to be ironed out in the coming months, the country will be required to dilute its existing nuclear material “on site under the supervision of the IAEA,” according to the peace agreement.
Read more Here’s When Gas, Airfares And Groceries Could Become Cheaper After Iran War Deal
Further Reading
Some Republicans Finally Express Support For Trump’s Iran Deal—Without Praising It (Forbes)
Trump And Iranian President Sign Interim Peace Deal—Key Details Of Agreement Shared (Forbes)
Read more Some Republicans Finally Express Support For Trump’s Iran Deal—Without Praising It