Bill Cassidy slams Trump’s Iran deal as ‘worst foreign policy blunder in decades’

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La) on Wednesday, June 17, sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s newly signed memorandum of understanding with Iran, calling it the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades” and warning that the agreement rewards Tehran while leaving key nuclear questions unresolved.

Cassidy argued that provisions in the deal risk strengthening Iran economically while failing to secure permanent limits on its nuclear program. Cassidy’s criticism came hours after Trump confirmed that he had signed the US-Iran memorandum, a framework agreement intended to halt hostilities and launch negotiations toward a broader settlement. 

Bill Cassidy invokes Reagan, says deal rewards Iranian leverage

Cassidy argued that provisions in the deal risk strengthening Iran economically while failing to secure permanent limits on its nuclear program.

“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Cassidy wrote on X. “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.”

Cassidy’s reference to former President Ronald Reagan centered on how the Reagan administration responded to threats against shipping in the Persian Gulf during the 1980s. Rather than offering economic concessions, the United States deployed naval forces to protect commercial traffic and keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

The senator argued that the new memorandum sends a different message.

“Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” Cassidy wrote. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped.”

His remarks place him among a growing group of outgoing Republican lawmakers whom observers have dubbed the Senate GOP’s 'YOLO Caucus,' outgoing members who have become more willing to publicly challenge Trump.

MOU text highlights nuclear concerns

However, the agreement states that on nuclear issues, Iran reaffirmed that it “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons,” while both sides agreed to negotiate the future of Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile. 

The document states that Iran’s stockpiled enriched material would, at a minimum, be down-blended under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision, while broader questions about enrichment remain subject to discussions over the next 60 days.

The agreement commits the United States to work with regional partners on a framework involving at least $300 billion in reconstruction and economic development funding for Iran. It also provides for waivers allowing Iranian oil exports and outlines a path toward lifting sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

Supporters of the agreement argue that sanctions relief remains tied to Iranian compliance and that no final settlement has yet been reached. Senior US officials have stressed that economic benefits will depend on Tehran fulfilling future nuclear obligations. Still, Cassidy contends the framework gives Iran leverage before securing a permanent nuclear resolution.