The article discusses growing opposition to a potential new Iran nuclear deal, with critics arguing it would weaken U.S. leverage over Iran. It references comments from Miad Maleki, a former Treasury official, who warns against any deal with Iran.
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Iran hawks are already circling as details emerge about an agreement that President Trump said Thursday could be signed as soon as this weekend between Washington and Tehran.
“Any version of this deal with Iran means the leverage is out the window,” said Miad Maleki, a former Treasury Department official now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a fiercely anti-Iran think tank in Washington, in a post on the social platform X .
Other prominent allies of Trump who have cheered the war — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Fox News host Mark Levin and The Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen — have demanded more details while expressing alarm about the reported terms.
Trump on Thursday morning pushed back on Iranian media reports laying out the 14-point memorandum of understanding.
“I am very glad to hear from @POTUS that Iranian media reports about the so-called deal are fake because the deal as described by Iran would be awful,” Graham wrote on X .
Here’s what we know about the deal so far.
Nuclear commitments remain vague
A senior U.S. official on Friday said that under the deal, Iran’s highly enriched uranium will be destroyed and Tehran could make a long-term commitment not to procure a nuclear weapon.
Iran has long said it will not seek to build a nuclear weapon, and it made that exact commitment in the Obama-era deal that Trump pulled out of during his first term.
What’s more important is what actions Iran commits to carrying out under the deal.
Trump has said Iran handing over its stockpile of weapons-grade uranium is a red line in talks, but Tehran has so far refused to do so.
A potential middle ground is diluting or “down-blending” the material inside Iran so it is no longer viable for use in nuclear weapons.
However, Trump on Thursday seemed to suggest he might be OK with letting it remain underground for the time being.
“Nobody’s getting close to it because it’s buried under a mountain,” he told reporters in the Oval Office, when asked if he had secured a commitment on the nuclear material.
Trump has previously said the U.S. is monitoring Iran to make sure it does not retrieve the material from an underground nuclear facility that was heavily bombed during U.S.-Israeli strikes last summer.
Mixed signals on sanctions relief
U.S. officials have said Iran will not have its assets unfrozen or receive any money until it follows through on certain steps.
“None of their money released until they perform,” a senior U.S. official told NewsNation on Thursday of the tentative deal.
However, according to Axios, the agreement would waive U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports for 60 days, pending ongoing negotiations.
That would provide a crucial economic lifeline to Iran’s energy markets, which have been strangled by a U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Maleki warned that snapping back sanctions after 60 days would be difficult, ensuring the U.S. “walks away from a failed 60-day window with both less diplomatic leverage and a temporarily blunted enforcement posture.”
Iranian state media have reported the deal would promise Iran $300 billion in reconstruction money in addition to an immediate cash transfer of $24 billion.
Trump appeared to reject those reports outright Thursday on Truth Social, though he did not say which aspects of the reports were untrue.
Strait of Hormuz reopens
There’s little doubt any deal would revolve around both sides allowing shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, the key energy corridor that has been largely closed off during the war and fragile ceasefire.
According to Axios, the current agreement would have Iran fully reopen the waterway within 30 days, without tolls. In exchange, the U.S. would lift its blockade on ships going to and from Iranian ports.
Iranian state media have reported Iran would not technically cede its authority over the channel. Either way, Iran has proven in recent months that it can exert enormous leverage by closing the Strait and disrupting global energy supplies.
Iran hawks have urged Trump to clear the Strait of Hormuz by force, rather than letting Iran dictate the terms of its reopening. The U.S. has quietly guided more than 100 tankers through the waterway in recent weeks, though that’s a mere fraction of typical traffic.
Trump has faced mounting domestic pressure to reach a deal as rising energy costs have spurred the highest inflation in three years, with depleted global oil inventories threatening to make the economic pain even worse.
He has insisted that gas prices will fall rapidly once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, though energy experts have said the U.S. is unlikely to return to prewar levels anytime soon.
When and where
Trump told reporters Thursday the signing of the deal could take place as soon as the weekend, likely in Europe.
He said he wouldn’t be able to attend, but instead would send Vice President Vance. He praised his son-in-law Jared Ku…
Read the full article at The Hill →The article discusses the skepticism among Iran hawks regarding President Donald Trump's deal with Iran.
Bias read (Center): The subject matter does not involve any political controversy or ideological debate. The article simply reports on the skepticism towards a specific deal without taking a stance or showing bias.
The article discusses growing opposition to a potential new Iran nuclear deal, with critics arguing it would weaken U.S. leverage over Iran. It references comments from Miad Maleki, a former Treasury official, who warns against any deal with Iran.
Bias read (Right): The article frames the potential Iran deal as controversial and highlights criticism from conservative voices like Miad Maleki, suggesting a pro-Israeli or hardline stance on Iran policy. The tone emphasizes skepticism toward any agreement with Iran, aligning with right-leaning perspectives on U.S.-
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