'Stop digging': Sen Van Hollen turns on Trump's Iran deal framework as agreement nears

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Chris Van Hollen took aim at President Donald Trump’s emerging Iran agreement on Sunday, May 24, arguing the administration was trying to fix a crisis of its own making after weeks of conflict in the Middle East rattled global markets and sent fuel costs soaring.

The Maryland Democrat said the White House had abandoned Trump’s campaign promises to avoid new wars abroad and instead dragged the country into a costly and unstable confrontation with Tehran.

Chris Van Hollen calls the Iran conflict a major blunder

Appearing on CBS's 'Face the Nation', Van Hollen sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict while reacting to reports that Washington and Tehran could be nearing a temporary agreement tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

“This war against Iran has been a big blunder from the very start,” Van Hollen said. “The president should have stuck to his campaign pledge of keeping us out of war and focused on bringing down prices. He's done just the opposite.”

The senator argued that Americans were now feeling the economic consequences of the conflict at home.

“Prices are going up, interest rates are going up, and we're mired in this war in Iran,” he continued. “And when you're digging a hole, you should stop digging. That's what this agreement sounds like.”

Van Hollen’s remarks came as the Trump administration signaled that an understanding with Iran could be close. Trump declared over the weekend that a peace arrangement had been “largely negotiated,” though officials have released few concrete details publicly.

Concerns over the Strait Of Hormuz 

Van Hollen acknowledged that reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil supplies, would help ease pressure on energy markets, but he suggested that the administration was effectively returning to conditions that existed before the conflict erupted.

“It sounds like we will go back to opening the Strait of Hormuz, which, of course, was open before the war started,” he said.

The Democratic senator also warned that Iran may emerge from the negotiations with increased leverage despite months of military escalation.

“I will say, however, it looks like Iran will retain more control over those Straits,” Van Hollen added. “We also know Iran has an even more hardline regime in place now.”

He further raised concerns about reports suggesting Iranian financial assets could be unfrozen as part of the discussions. “We're talking about releasing some of Iran's frozen assets,” he said before reiterating: “So, look, my view is, as I said, stop digging.”