Trump Defends Near-Deal With Iran as Republican Critics Sound Alarm

Donald Trump on Sunday pushed back against criticism from fellow Republicans as reports indicated he was close to finalising a framework agreement with Iran aimed at ending ongoing hostilities.

Some hawks within his party called the proposed arrangement a disaster and even questioned the president’s decision to launch military action. Mr Trump took to social media to insist his deal would be “THE EXACT OPPOSITE” of the 2015 Obama-era agreement he pulled the US out of in 2018.

“Both sides must take their time to get it right … There can be no mistakes!”

The president also stressed:

“The US blockade of Iran’s ports will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

He urged sceptics not to rush to judgement, saying the text of the deal is not yet final.

“Nobody has seen the deal, or knows what it is … It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about.”

Reported Terms and Remaining Sticking Points

According to multiple reports, the draft framework would offer Iran sanctions relief and the release of up to $20 billion in frozen assets in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and agreeing to negotiate on its nuclear programme. The talks are slated to begin on 5 June in Pakistan and would run for a 60-day window. Reporters say at least $12 billion of the frozen assets are held in Qatar.

The central obstacle appears to be a US demand that the unfreezing of Qatar-held Iranian assets—reported in some accounts as the equivalent of about £12 billion—be made conditional on verified progress in the handover of Iran’s enriched uranium. Other reported elements of the framework would call for the US, Iran and their allies to cease active hostilities and for Israel to end its offensive in Lebanon, though final terms remain undisclosed.

Political Fallout and Related Developments

Inside the United States, the proposed deal has intensified friction within the Republican Party. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky—who repeatedly broke with Mr Trump on military action in the region—was recently defeated in a primary challenge the president backed, a sign of continuing party realignment ahead of November.

Separately, Andrew Weissmann, a former US federal prosecutor and ex-FBI general counsel who has been targeted by Mr Trump, argued that politicians whose lies threaten democracy should face accountability. Weissmann urged sweeping legislative and structural reforms to curb election deception.

In a separate security incident, court records show a 21-year-old gunman who fired outside the White House on Saturday was already known to the US Secret Service. The suspect was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead; an affidavit filed in DC Superior Court says he had previously tried to enter the complex and been arrested nearby in 2025.

Other international and public-health developments mentioned in reports include calls for an EU statute to shield International Criminal Court members from punitive US measures, and polling showing strong US midterm voter support for PEPFAR, the US-led initiative to combat HIV/AIDS.

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