Trump’s Iran accord offers exit from war — and fresh political risks
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration and Iran’s leadership agreed on Sunday to terms to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a development that has delivered significant relief to global markets.
But while the accord is an opportunity for U.S. President Donald Trump to exit a conflict that has proven consistently unpopular with the American public, it also exposes him to criticism from within his party, skepticism from allies and questions over whether the deal will hold.
By Monday, some Iran “hawks” within the Republican Party were trashing the agreement, describing it as a tactical catastrophe. Some were calling on the administration to release the formal text of the accord, which was still under wraps as of the afternoon.
“Trump has surrendered to Iran,” conservative influencer Erick Erickson wrote on X.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who advocated for the war, said in a Sunday X post he was “somewhat concerned” that Iran’s description of the preliminary agreement was different from the White House’s description.
Vice President JD Vance, one of the president’s least hawkish aides, pushed back against early criticisms. In an interview with ABC on Monday, he played down the possibility that Iran will immediately receive some of its frozen assets, saying it would only receive those funds if Tehran reaches certain benchmarks related to its nuclear program.
While Republicans have navigated deep splits between isolationists and interventionists for years, another flare-up before the November midterm elections when Republicans will try to defend narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate could create an image of a party in disarray.
Gas prices are expected to fall but will remain above pre-war levels for some time, analysts say, meaning voters are still likely to face pain at the pump as the elections approach. The strait, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows, is not scheduled to fully open until Friday. Even then, it will take weeks or even months for oil flows to return to normal levels, with supply further constrained as Gulf nations ramp up production and repair damaged infrastructure.
“Full pre-conflict traffic volume is realistically a 2027 story,” said David Jorbenaze, global oil market leader at ICIS, a market intelligence provider.
That lag could blunt any political benefit for Trump and Republicans, particularly as voters remain focused on cost-of-living pressures. As of early June, some 70% of Americans disapproved of how Trump was handling those concerns.
One of Trump’s most oft-stated positions with respect to Iran is that the U.S.’ last deal with the Islamic Republic, known as the JCPOA, was a disaster.
Trump has frequently noted with derision that the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama sent pallets...
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