Trump’s Iran Deal Draws Fresh Bipartisan Criticism as Peace Talks Stall in Switzerland

US politicians from both sides voiced fresh objections on Sunday to Donald Trump’s provisional agreement with Iran—even as the president issued new threats and Vice President JD Vance highlighted progress during the first round of direct peace talks in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Negotiations in Lucerne have already encountered setbacks after Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran must immediately stop its proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble, warning that if it does not, the US will hit Iran hard again, only harder. Iranian negotiators reportedly walked out of the building where talks were being held, according to the state news agency IRNA.

“The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after meeting with the Qatari delegation as one of the mediating parties, left the building where the negotiations were being held,” IRNA said.

At the same time, Trump posted a message on X repeating his threats against Iran.

In the United States, bipartisan criticism of the US‑Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) continued. Senator John Cornyn (R‑TX) shared a Wall Street Journal excerpt highlighting Iran’s ability to withstand sanctions, echoing his earlier warning that the deal would free frozen Iranian funds that could be used to rebuild ballistic missile capabilities and resume uranium enrichment. Democratic former national security adviser Susan Rice called the agreement a “flimsy” and “egregious” surrender, noting that too many concessions were granted up‑front without securing a comprehensive nuclear deal first.

Rice emphasized that the MOU, signed in Paris last Wednesday, allows Iran to sell oil and oil products unimpeded and use the revenue for self‑rebuilding before any nuclear agreement is reached.

The criticism follows Trump’s threat to renew military strikes if Iran fails to cooperate and curb its Lebanon proxy Hezbollah, including a possible US takeover of the Strait of Hormuz.

Rice contrasted the current deal with the Obama‑era agreement, which tied the release of frozen assets to humanitarian use only, whereas the Trump MOU imposes no such restrictions.

The New York Post, owned by Rupert Murdoch, published an editorial titled “With Strait of Hormuz Held Hostage, Trump’s Iran Deal Is Worse Than Obama’s.”

Senator Cory Booker (D‑NJ) rejected any credit for ending the war, calling the MOU an “abject surrender” that gives Iran billions of dollars in benefits.

Vice President Vance, summarizing the talks, said negotiators had made great progress and expected further gains, while noting ongoing complexities regarding Israel’s actions in Lebanon.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz warned that giving billions to Iran’s theocratic regime is a dangerous gamble.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright commented on the Lucerne talks, saying they would outline Iranian goals and potential trade‑offs, and noted that U.S. military actions have altered Iran’s negotiating leverage. He added that oil flows through the Strait have returned to normal and are expected to stay stable regardless of negotiations.

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