Republicans Attack Each Other Over Possible Iran Deal: What We Know

BreakingBusinessRepublicans Attack Each Other Over Possible Iran Deal: What We KnowByAntonio Pequeño IV,Forbes Staff. Pequeño is a breaking news reporter who covers tech and more.Follow AuthorMay 24, 2026, 11:08am EDTToplinePresident Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday that a peace deal with Iran was being finalized exposed a major division among Republicans, who attacked each other on social media—at times with profanity-laden name-calling—as the anti-war wing of the party lauded a potential end to the war while others suggested a deal maintaining the regime would be a failure for the U.S.Trump said the agreement with Iran is "largely negotiated."Photo by Al Drago for The Washington Post via Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump said in a Truth Social post Saturday the deal had been “largely negotiated,” adding final details were being discussed and would be announced “shortly.”Outside of noting the deal would include the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route responsible for roughly 25% of the world’s oil flow, Trump did not provide many details on what the peace agreement would entail.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said if the agreement “allows the regime to survive and become more powerful over time, we will have poured gasoline on the conflicts in Lebanon and Iraq,” adding it could potentially “put Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Shia militias in Iraq on steroids.”Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was “deeply concerned” about what he has heard about the potential peace deal and that he prayed early reports about its details were wrong, saying the outcome of the agreement “could be a disastrous mistake,” while Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said a “rumored 60-day ceasefire” with Iran “would be a disaster,” saying the military operation in Iran that began nearly three months ago “would be for naught!”The White House fiercely fired back at one notable GOP critic—former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung sayi...