Senior US senators from the Republican Party voiced criticism on Saturday over the reported terms of the deal that US President Donald Trump, who is also a Republican, is negotiating with Tehran to end the Iran war.

The emerging criticism from within Trump’s own party comes after US and Iranian officials both signalled that they were nearing an agreement on a memorandum of understanding to end the war and set the stage for further talks.

Trump specified that the agreement would include opening the Strait of Hormuz, but did not mention Iran’s nuclear program, despite repeatedly insisting that Iran would not be allowed to attain nuclear weapons and that the regime must relinquish its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium.

Iran, meanwhile, said that nuclear issues were not part of the current negotiations.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a vocal supporter of the war against Iran unleashed by the US and Israel on February 28 and the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, expressed fear over terms that would allow the Iranian regime to survive, saying a deal that leaves Iran in a strong position in the region would lead to a “nightmare for Israel.”

“If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate [sic] force requiring a diplomatic solution,” he posted on X.

“This combination of Iran being perceived as having the ability to terrorize the Strait in perpetuity and the ability [to] inflict massive damage to Gulf oil infrastructure is a major shift of the balance of power in the region and over time will be a........

© The Times of Israel