The reactions in the US Congress are deeply divided along party lines after the announced peace agreement with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
While Republicans largely welcome President Donald Trump's move as a strategic victory, Democrats have sharply criticized the agreement over concerns of too much concessions to Tehran.
Most conservatives approve of the agreement, describing Trump as a skilled negotiator, but some of the party's leading “hawks“ are pushing for increased parliamentary oversight.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott called Trump “the chief dealmaker“ and called the agreement a “great victory for American security and global stability“. Other representatives, such as Senator Bernie Moreno, went so far as to declare that the president deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
Republicans such as Congresswoman Marinette Miller-Meeks expressed hope that the agreement and the lifting of the blockade would quickly bring down high fuel prices, which have become a serious political liability for the party before the midterm elections in November.
Influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, known for his tough stance on Iran, praised the achievement but warned that he would monitor the negotiations closely. He expressed concern about the differences in interpretation of the terms between the US and Iran and stressed that “under US law, any nuclear deal with Iran must be sent to Congress for review and vote“.
Republican lawmakers have been adamant that the new agreement not repeat the model of the “Obama“ era nuclear deal (JCPOA). They are demanding full assurance that Iran will not retain the capacity to enrich uranium to a military level.
Democratic Party representatives are attacking the Trump administration both for waging the war itself and for the parameters of the negotiated ceasefire.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has criticized Trump's foreign policy. Democrats point out that the war cost American taxpayers billions of dollars and took the lives of American servicemen, and the leaked details of the release of $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets are interpreted as a “capitulation“ and a concession to Tehran.
Progressive politicians and party leaders recall that it was Trump who unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement. According to them, his actions have only strengthened Iran, and the current agreement is unlikely to offer better conditions than those of Barack Obama.
Before the deal was concluded, the majority of Democrats in Congress actively voted for resolutions limiting the president's military powers, accusing him of waging an illegitimate war without the explicit approval of the legislative branch. Democrats are demanding full transparency about the commitments made to Israel's security and the future of Iran's nuclear program.