{"id":500639,"date":"2026-06-19T09:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/500639\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T09:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T09:39:14","slug":"republicans-raise-concerns-that-trumps-iran-deal-could-come-at-israels-expense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/500639\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans raise concerns that Trump\u2019s Iran deal could come at Israel\u2019s expense"},"content":{"rendered":"

As President Donald Trump and Iran move forward with a memorandum of understanding to end the war, many congressional Republicans are expressing unease<\/a> about what the emerging deal means for the United States.<\/p>\n

But several Republicans have also expressed concern with what the agreement means for another country: Israel.<\/p>\n

Several Republicans told MS NOW they are particularly distraught with a provision calling for an \u201cimmediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon\u201d \u2014 language they fear could constrain Israel\u2019s campaign against Hezbollah.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In recent weeks, Israel has continued strikes on southern Lebanon<\/a>, targeting Hezbollah there. Israel even struck Lebanon<\/a> after the memorandum was announced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When MS NOW asked Republicans on Thursday if the Iran deal was good for Israel, GOP lawmakers expressed a number of worries.<\/p>\n

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., took issue with the fact that Israel seemed to have been cut out of the negotiations, saying he\u2019d like to find out what the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cthought process\u201d was on that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, similarly took issue with Israel getting cut out \u2014 going so far as to suggest that Israel should perhaps ignore the deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got their own interests at stake, and you know, I would encourage them to continue to take the fight to Hezbollah,\u201d he told MS NOW.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like many other Republicans, Cornyn also took issue with the memorandum\u2019s provision calling for up to $300 billion in reconstruction money for Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, now Iran is going to have hundreds of millions of dollars to support its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah,\u201d Cornyn said.<\/p>\n

And Cornyn\u2019s Texas colleague, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, was similarly concerned about forking money over to Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory demonstrates that sending billions of dollars to a theocratic lunatic who wants to murder us is a really bad idea,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Other Republicans were just as blunt with their criticism.<\/p>\n

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When MS NOW asked Rep. Don Bacon if the preliminary agreement was positive for Israel, the retiring Nebraska Republican was succinct: \u201cNo it is not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting \u2026 Hezbollah is not in Israel\u2019s interests. The administration appeared desperate to get Iran to sign,\u201d he said. \u201cThe MOU favors Iran significantly. They got their way with Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bacon added that the U.S. had \u201csignificant military successes\u201d against Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Trump wanted an immediate deal too desperately and frittered away success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Beyond the Lebanon provision, some of Israel\u2019s top GOP allies are citing a tenet of the memorandum that says the U.S. \u201cfurther undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final Deal,\u201d which experts say could allow Iran to say it drove the U.S. from the area.<\/p>\n

Asked if he was concerned the deal may not be positive for Israel, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, responded in a text message: \u201cSuper!\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the clause about the U.S. retreating from Iran was \u201cthe most astounding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI am sure that Iran interprets this clause as the removal of U.S. forces from bases and facilities in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] states. Has there been a greater strategic defeat? As they say \u2018The Devil is in the details.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

And while Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., expressed concerns about what the deal means for Israel, he also took issue with the potential political fallout for Republicans domestically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to protect Israel for its own sake,\u201d Tillis said. \u201cBut there\u2019s also a compelling political reason not to send the message that we\u2019re no better than the Democrats, who have, by and large, let their left wing turn their backs on Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concerns are surfacing as the administration finally sends members of Congress the MOU, giving lawmakers their first official chance to review the 14 points.<\/p>\n

Israel itself has received the memorandum with a great deal of skepticism, with Axios reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes the deal is a mistake<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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But the White House is carefully warning Israeli leaders to choose their words carefully.<\/p>\n

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On Thursday, when Vice President JD Vance was asked about some of the pushback on the deal from Israel, he warned that \u201cTrump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this point in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n

The spat is putting Republicans \u2014 who have long sided with Israel \u2014\u00a0in a potentially uncomfortable spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of Israel\u2019s most outspoken defenders in Congress, Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, notably gave the White House some breathing room when asked whether this was a good deal for Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael isn\u2019t a party to the MOU, and I believe they will act in their best interest,\u201d he texted MS NOW. \u201cMy focus is on whether it is a good deal for the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA final deal could be bad for Israel; it could be great for Israel. Same is true for America,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rather than outwardly cross Trump and the White House, many Republicans seem intent on deferring to Israel\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael is going to make their own judgment on that,\u201d said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V. \u201cI don\u2019t have a comment on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. \u2014\u00a0who touts himself as a \u201cvocal supporter\u201d of Israel<\/a> \u2014\u00a0said he wouldn\u2019t want to \u201cassess another country\u2019s security interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I just defer to them on that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Other Republicans are preaching patience.<\/p>\n

When MS NOW asked Sen. Lindsey Graham if this was a good deal for Israel, the South Carolina Republican pointed to the forthcoming 60 days of negotiations before a final agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt depends on how it all ends,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it ends with a deal to contain Iran, it\u2019d be a good deal for the region. If it ends where Saudi can go back to the peace table with Israel, it\u2019d be a good deal. We just don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MOU is not going to change history one way or the other,\u201d Graham said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., was similarly willing to let the process play out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to see the Israelis give the agreement 60 days to try to work,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if it doesn\u2019t work, we can go back to bombing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\"Kevin\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKevin Frey<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKevin Frey is a congressional reporter for MS NOW.\t\t<\/p>\n

\"MS<\/p>\n

\u00a9\u00a02026 Versant Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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