WASHINGTON, D.C. — The ongoing conflict with Iran and the recent memorandum of understanding agreement between both countries are facing scrutiny from most Democrats and even a handful of Republicans this week.
Attitudes over the conflict are souring among some Republicans, which was made clear by a rare Senate rebuke of the president’s war strategy on Tuesday. However, the Senate reversed course on that rebuke Wednesday night.
On Tuesday, four Senate Republicans broke ranks to join all but one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., in supporting the measure, which passed 50-48.
“I think we had a really great meeting,” President Donald Trump said following a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
The meeting came one day after the Senate’s stark rebuke. On Tuesday, the Senate adopted a symbolic war powers resolution to restrict the president’s military operations in Iran. It was the first time since the enactment of the War Powers Resolution in 1973 that both chambers of Congress approved a concurrent resolution directing a president to end a military conflict.
Trump was reportedly livid over the vote during Wednesday’s meeting with Republican senators, going head-to-head with Republicans who voted to adopt the measure.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., was one of those four Republicans.
“I’m not going to be bullied when I’m trying to get answers for the American people,” Cassidy said to reporters following his verbal altercation with the president Wednesday.
Hours after that meeting, the Senate flipped, voting to block a war powers measure. Cassidy switched his vote after he was invited to a briefing on Iran by White House officials a few hours prior. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted present.
It all comes as the Trump administration touts progress on a 14-point memorandum of understanding, or MOU, calling it a pathway toward stability.
“We just achieved a historic peace agreement with Iran to end the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said during a rally this week in Pennsylvania.
Democrats are criticizing the agreement this week as more details become public.
“It’s clear that Trump got steamrolled because he lacked a strategy for this war,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said. “Trump’s deal with Iran is no deal at all.”
Most Republicans are largely standing by the administration’s strategy and the MOU.
“The memorandum of understanding is a precursor to the agreement,” Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., said. “Culturally, the Iranians are used to negotiating until you give up. And we have to show the resolve that we are not giving up in holding them to the next step at the negotiation table.”
This week, Trump also directed the Justice Department to investigate price gouging by major oil companies, arguing lower oil prices aren’t translating into lower prices at the pump.
On Thursday, the global oil benchmark, Brent crude, fell to its lowest level since the Iran conflict began, dipping to roughly $72 a barrel.
