Democrats and die-hard pro-Israel voices skewer Iran ceasefire, as Republicans back Trump
Republican lawmakers greeted news of a ceasefire for the US-Israeli war on Iran with polite applause and some scepticism, while their Democratic counterparts called it a monumental defeat for the US.
“A diplomatic solution to end the reign of terror in Iran is the preferred outcome. The supposed negotiating document, in my view, has some troubling aspects, but time will tell,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump and early advocate for the war, wrote on X.
Graham said he wanted to ensure the deal ended with Iran not enriching uranium.
“I want to reaffirm that from my point of view, every ounce of the approximately 900 lbs of highly enriched uranium has to be controlled by the US and removed from Iran to prevent them in the future from having a dirty bomb or returning to the enrichment business,” he said.
That statement points to trouble ahead for future talks between Iran and the US, expected to take place on Friday in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Iran has circulated a 10-point plan for a lasting peace deal that enshrines its control of the Strait of Hormuz and ability to continue enriching uranium. Trump called the list “workable” on Tuesday.
Republican Senator Rick Scott called the deal “excellent news”.
“This is a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable, and what happens when you have a leader who puts peace through strength over chaos and weak appeasement policies,” he said.
'Absolute disaster'
Even as Republicans fell in line behind Trump, commentators whom the US president has used as sounding boards during the war slammed the deal.
“These 10 points are an absolute disaster,” syndicated radio and Fox News host Mark Levin wrote on X.
Levin, who has endorsed the war and is a close ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the US had “cut out” Israel from the talks.
Somewhat ironically, Democratic lawmakers appeared to agree with Levin that the ceasefire cemented a strategic blunder for the US.
Senator Chris Murphy, who publicly opposed the US attack on Iran, skewered the deal as cementing an Iranian victory.
“We are now seeing the shape of why Iran agreed so enthusiastically to this 'ceasefire', Murphy wrote on X, adding, “They will control and toll the Strait for the first time. They keep their nuclear program. They keep their missiles. What a disaster.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is generally a staunch advocate of Israel, also welcomed the ceasefire and said the body needed to pass a War Powers Resolution to limit Trump’s ability to wage war on Iran without congressional approval.
The vote on the resolution in the Senate failed last month, with nearly all Republicans opposing it.
“Trump is a military moron,” Schumer wrote on X. “His war, with a price tag of $44 billion and $4+ gas, made us worse off today than we were when he started it.”
“And if he restarts this war, we will be in even worse shape. We must pass our War Powers Resolution to end this war for good,” he added.
Under the agreement facilitated by Pakistan on Tuesday, spurred on by a request for Trump to extend his "deadline" ultimatum, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, but before the ink on the deal dried, it already seemed in peril.
Gulf states attacked, and Lebanon pounded by Israel
Iran said an oil refinery on Lavan Island was targeted in an "enemy attack" on Wednesday, and appeared to retaliate by launching strikes on the Gulf states.
The UAE said that it was targeted with 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones. Qatar said it was targeted by Iran with seven ballistic missiles and "a number of drones".
The Financial Times reported that a pumping station for Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West pipeline, which has allowed millions of barrels of oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz via the Red Sea, was also attacked.
Meanwhile, Israel unleashed its most devastating strikes on Lebanon since the start of the war. Air strikes pummelled central Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon's health ministry said at least 112 people were killed and 837 more were wounded.
Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire between the US and Iran “does not include Lebanon”.
The Israeli strike appeared to directly challenge Pakistan, whose prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said that all sides had agreed to an immediate ceasefire “everywhere, including Lebanon”.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran told mediators it would not join peace talks with the US in Islamabad, expected to take place on Friday, if Israel keeps attacking Lebanon.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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