Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz expressed profound concern on Wednesday regarding what he views as massive American capitulations codified within President Donald Trump’s memorandum of understanding.
The newly unveiled framework prompted Cruz to issue a public warning that the commander-in-chief is being guided by deeply flawed counseling.
“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal," Cruz told The Hill.
The senator's pushback intensified after the White House made the comprehensive text of the provisional framework public. Under its current provisions, the roadmap sets the stage for lifting embargoes on Iranian petroleum exports and opens the door for Tehran to tap into a $300 billion post-war reconstruction repository.
Cruz is far from the only Republican lawmaker to launch a fierce broadside against the White House's diplomatic maneuvers. On Wednesday, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana condemned the proposed treaty, explicitly labeling it the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades."
Taking to social media to lambast the administration's blueprint, Cassidy wrote, “Reagan is rolling over in his grave. Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal."
Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also spoke out against the US-Iran deal, stating that the deal would be paying Iran to rebuild what the US had destroyed during the war.
“Hitting Iran’s nuclear and missile sites was the right move. This regime chants death to America, murders our troops, and attempts to assassinate Americans on US soil. They believe they have an obligation to destroy us," Haley wrote in a post on social media.
“Now, we plan to unlock billions of dollars and lift sanctions, with the promise of even more money. They will use that money the way they always do- to further their nuclear ambitions and on terrorist proxies against us. It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed," she added.
On Tuesday, former US Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized the memorandum of understanding.
In an interview with CNN, Pence said the agreement "smells of appeasement" and grants Tehran extensive concessions without demanding meaningful reciprocal measures.