{"id":3940,"date":"2026-05-28T19:39:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T19:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/28\/dire-strait-trumps-bid-to-end-iran-war-before-midterms-risks-republican-anger\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T19:39:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T19:39:43","slug":"dire-strait-trumps-bid-to-end-iran-war-before-midterms-risks-republican-anger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=3940","title":{"rendered":"Dire strait? Trump\u2019s bid to end Iran war before midterms risks Republican anger"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"ed4a5407-e942-42b3-acc5-4d208193e56f\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"people drive past a billboard\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a26e5b5592a47db2ff06f31e36e56ef606fbfb9d\/0_0_3374_2249\/master\/3374.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"309.9540604623592\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Iranians drive past a billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the strait of Hormuz, erected on Valiasr Square in Tehran on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"ed4a5407-e942-42b3-acc5-4d208193e56f\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Iranians drive past a billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the strait of Hormuz, erected on Valiasr Square in Tehran on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<div class=\"dcr-13sure5\">\n<div class=\"dcr-47lvke\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-epjkf7\">Analysis<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Dire strait? Trump\u2019s bid to end Iran war before midterms risks Republican anger<\/h1>\n<div class=\"dcr-isvq2p\">\n<div class=\"dcr-f3dx7u\"><a rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/roth-andrew\">Andrew Roth<\/a><span> in Washington<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1b20i6h\">\n<p>Trump administration in a bind as it faces mounting economic costs ahead of midterms from Iran war<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The terms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/28\/donald-trump-shares-draft-iran-peace-agreement-with-israel-and-other-allies\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a purported 60-day deal to negotiate peace in the Iran war <\/a>have trapped the Trump administration between mounting economic costs ahead of midterm elections and anger from Republican hawks who accuse the US government of surrendering to Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The public rift between Trump and Senate Republicans over his shift toward diplomacy with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/iran\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Iran<\/a> has also been matched within his administration, where the dovish JD Vance and traditional neoconservative Marco Rubio have been forced to pirouette between Trump\u2019s policies as he shifts to exit the war as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">US media outlets reported on Thursday that US and Iranian negotiators had reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would extend a ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. But Iran has not confirmed a deal, and skirmishes have increased in the strait of Hormuz. The reported conditions for the negotiations appear to favour Washington even as Tehran has indicated it would demand further concessions to open the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If that deal has been made, the White House is not in a rush to ink it, as Donald Trump seeks to cushion the political blowback of an interim agreement to start negotiations with the Iranians. \u201cThe president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it,\u201d a US official told Axios.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The outlines of a deal that were leaked earlier this week included potential sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets, as well as a halt to Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a condition that had angered US ally Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The return of the negotiations from Pakistan to Qatar, which Iran\u2019s central bank governor and other senior officials visited this week, also probably indicated that Iran was seeking the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets held there as part of a deal, observers said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The release of the funds could also heighten <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/apr\/29\/us-tough-spot-deal-highlights-failures-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-nuclear-weapon\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">critiques that the new MOU was similar \u2013 or worse \u2013 than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was signed by Obama in 2015<\/a>. Trump exited the deal in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s Obama minus,\u201d said David Schenker, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs during the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Trump administration<\/a> and now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The growing economic shock wave from the closure of the strait of Hormuz \u2013 through which 20% of the global oil transit flows \u2013 helps explain Trump\u2019s impatience to \u201cget this done\u201d. But \u201cthe president is highly sensitive to critiques from the right,\u201d Schenker said, adding that Trump had had to think \u201ccreatively\u201d for ways to sell a deal that will make many in his own party unhappy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe challenges are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/apr\/02\/how-have-trump-iran-war-aims-changed\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the goals that President Trump articulated,<\/a> which variously went from complete regime surrender to protecting the Iranian people to removing the nuclear program from Iran itself,\u201d said Dana Stroul, the institute\u2019s research director. \u201cNone of these strategic goals have been achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"b4b3fce6-debb-47b7-8239-100d94221a3b\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-10 | 10\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-ak3j0c\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/apr\/02\/how-have-trump-iran-war-aims-changed\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">How have Trump\u2019s Iran war aims changed and has he achieved any of them?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Reports of the deal this week caused an early backlash in Washington, she said, because Republicans \u201cfelt that \u2013 given the investment of military resources and what had been accomplished operationally \u2013 this was a very weak hand for President Trump to hand them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe rumored 60-day ceasefire \u2013 with the belief that Iran will ever engage in good faith \u2013 would be a disaster,\u201d wrote Senator Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate armed services committee. \u201cEverything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s terrible timing,\u201d said a Republican political strategist. \u201cThere is already anger over the [$1.8bn anti-weaponisation] fund and the midterms. [Republicans] already feel betrayed by Trump and now they\u2019re worried he\u2019s giving away too much\u201d to reopen the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham \u2013 the latter who has been an influential adviser on foreign policy to Trump \u2013 also initially attacked the deal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"ebef221d-fb0a-43a9-8326-c0ebb778619f\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-15 | 15\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-ak3j0c\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/24\/republican-hawks-trump-deal-iran\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Republican lawmakers warn of \u2018disastrous mistake\u2019 as Trump nears deal with Iran<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Trump administration has since sought to repair ties with hawkish Republican senators, including Graham with an unusual pitch: at a high-stakes phone call with Gulf and other Middle Eastern leaders, Trump suggested that all sides who were involved in the deal would join the Abraham accords by recognising Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That was a nonstarter, said observers, and increasingly strained ties between the administration and allies in the Gulf who may increasingly view the US as out of touch with the realities of the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s unrealistic,\u2019 said Schenker. \u201cThis was an attempt to make lemonade out of lemons \u2026 to reach for the positive regional transformation but it\u2019s clearly not ripe for that type of progress to be made. These states are mindful of staying on the right side of the president, he\u2019s mercurial, he tends to hold grudges, but this is not something they\u2019re gonna be able to give on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That rejection has left the Trump administration in a bind \u2013 whether to risk Republican anger by pushing through a deal that empowers Iran and its claim to the strait of Hormuz \u2013 or to let the stalemate continue as is with the midterms on the horizon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/us-israel-war-on-iran\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US-Israel war on Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/iran\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Iran<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">analysis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Dire%20strait?%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20bid%20to%20end%20Iran%20war%20before%20midterms%20risks%20Republican%20anger&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/28\/trump-iran-republicans-anger-midterms?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F28%2Ftrump-iran-republicans-anger-midterms&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/28\/trump-iran-republicans-anger-midterms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iranians drive past a billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the strait of Hormuz, erected on Valiasr<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}