Trump Faces Bipartisan Criticism Over Iran Deal in Lucerne Talks
Trump faces bipartisan criticism over the Iran deal as U.S.-Iran talks open in Lucerne and tensions rise over Lebanon and oil flows.
JAKARTA — Trump Faces Bipartisan Criticism Over Iran Deal after the president renewed threats of military strikes if Tehran fails to restrain its proxy groups in Lebanon. The backlash came as direct U.S.-Iran talks opened in Lucerne, Switzerland, putting the fragile diplomacy under immediate strain.
The dispute matters well beyond Washington. Energy markets, shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf and the White House’s room to maneuver are all being pulled into the same fight. A misstep could ripple through oil prices and global trade fast.
Bipartisan criticism of the Iran deal
Republican Senator John Cornyn said the agreement was too loose and could give Iran’s military capabilities a fresh opening. He argued that economic pressure on Tehran has not yet forced a change in behavior.
“That money will be used to replace ballistic missile assets and start enriching uranium again,” Cornyn said in a statement cited by U.S. media. He cast the deal as a risk, not a breakthrough.
Democrats were no softer. Susan Rice, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser under Barack Obama, called the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, signed by Trump in Paris last week “fragile” and “striking.” Speaking on ABC News This Week, she said too many concessions were made before a full nuclear agreement had been locked in.
Rice also pointed to a practical worry. Iran, she said, is already able to sell oil and petroleum products without major hurdles, then channel the money back into rebuilding its power. That, she argued, contrasts with Obama’s approach, when access to frozen Iranian assets was limited and tied to humanitarian use.
Too much, too soon.
That phrase captures the mood in Washington. The criticism is not only about what the deal contains, but about the timing. Trump is asking for patience while also signaling force, and many lawmakers on both sides say the two messages clash.
Trump keeps pressure on Tehran
As the criticism grew, Trump sharpened his rhetoric on Truth Social. He demanded that Iran stop its “high-paid proxies” in Lebanon from causing trouble and warned that he would strike Iran “very hard again” if the behavior continued.
Iranian media outlet IRNA reported that the Iranian delegation briefly left the building where the negotiations were being held after meeting the Qatari delegation serving as mediator. IRNA also said Trump posted another threat as the talks began in Switzerland.
Vice President JD Vance took a more upbeat tone. He said negotiators had “made major progress in just the last few hours” and expected more movement soon. Even then, he conceded that Lebanon remains a difficult file.
“Things like this are always a bit messy,” Vance told reporters. He added that the administration still had “additional wood to chop,” a phrase that suggests hard bargaining ahead.
Hormuz, Hezbollah and the wider risk
The tension is sharper because Trump’s warnings touch the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage that carries a large share of the world’s oil shipments. Any push to seize control there, or force changes in the waterway, could quickly feed into global energy costs.
That is why Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s comments drew attention. In an interview with ABC’s This Week, Wright said the Lucerne talks would show what Iran wants and what compromise it is prepared to make. He said Tehran’s leverage is weaker after U.S. military pressure and diplomacy were used together.
“We’ve never been in a situation like this before,” Wright said. He said U.S. military action had altered Iran’s calculations at the table.
Inside the United States, criticism is still not easing. Democratic Senator Cory Booker refused to give Trump credit for ending the war. He compared the situation to “an arsonist who sets the fire and then gets praised for running out of the burning building.” Booker said the U.S. government had effectively “surrendered” to its enemy.
Even the New York Post, a tabloid that has generally supported Trump, ran a sharp headline saying the Iran deal is worse than Obama’s agreement. That kind of split-screen reaction is rare. It also tells Trump the political cost is rising.
For readers outside the United States, the stakes are plain. Oil prices, shipping security and the risk of wider conflict in the Middle East can all spill into the global economy, including countries that import energy such as Indonesia. A tighter Strait of Hormuz or a deeper confrontation around Lebanon would not stay contained for long.
Trump is now trying to press Tehran at the table while threatening force on the open stage. Rice said the core problem is that major concessions came before the final terms were locked in. The next signal may come from Lucerne, where the talks are still active and the pressure is building.
