Senator Lindsey Graham drops opposition to Trump administration’s Iran agreement, while other Republican lawmakers denounce the deal as a “blunder.”By World Israel News StaffSenator Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s most hawkish Republican allies on Iran, reversed course Wednesday and endorsed the US-Iran memorandum of understanding after a briefing with special envoy Steve Witkoff, even as other Republicans denounced the agreement as a dangerous concession to Tehran.Graham had initially voiced skepticism over the MOU, warning that Iran’s interpretation of the agreement appeared to differ from Washington’s account.But after what he described as a “very lengthy and productive discussion” with Witkoff, the South Carolina Republican said he now believed signing the agreement would serve US interests.“After this discussion, it is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop,” Graham wrote on social media.“Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying,” he continued.Graham added that the agreement could create broader regional opportunities if it lowers tensions and restores shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.“The economic stability that comes from opening up the Strait and the cessation of hostilities could create a pathway to peace well beyond the Iranian conflict,” he wrote.“The expansion of the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is President Trump’s and my ultimate goal. I think that is best achieved by creating economic stability for the United States, the region and the world, as well as the cessation of hostilities. The signing of the MOU is an essential step to make that happen and thus it is worthwhile,” Graham concluded.The shift put Graham at odds with Republican critics who said the emerging agreement rewards Iran after months of war, gives Tehran leverage over international shipping and fails to sufficiently address its nuclear program and regional proxies.Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana offered one of the sharpest attacks, calling the agreement “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Cassidy wrote.“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,” he added. “Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.”Cassidy argued that the war had left the US in a worse position than before.“Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive,” he said. “Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”Sen. Ted Cruz also criticized the reported terms, saying the public details suggested the administration was receiving poor guidance.“What has been released so far suggests that, unfortunately, the president is getting, I think, very poor advice when it comes to this deal,” Cruz said. “History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a bad idea.”Sen. Thom Tillis said he was concerned by reports of a possible $300 billion fund tied to the agreement.“I’m hearing a $300 billion number and that’s concerning to me, so I just need the details,” Tillis said. “I also need to know the methodology. I’m not interested in just an agreement that gets us through two and a half years, which is how much longer this administration lasts.”The MOU, electronically signed Wednesday by the United States and Iran, is intended to open a 60-day negotiating period for a more comprehensive deal. A senior US official said both sides could still walk away from the framework and that the next stage would focus heavily on sequencing.“I think the meeting in Switzerland will be quite critical in order to really see how we get to the next phase,” the official said.“It has to be a situation where both parties… agree on the full magnitude of what both parties are going to do, and then come up with a sequencing agreement on who’s going to do what when, and that’s really where the crux of the negotiations will go,” the official added.Under the MOU, Iran is expected to allow toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days and later discuss administration of the waterway with Oman and other Gulf states. A senior US official also said Iran had agreed, at minimum, to the “downblending” of its highly enriched uranium.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed the digital signing process, saying, “Right now, as I’m speaking with you, the text of the Islamabad memorandum has probably reached the presidents of Iran and the United States for signature.”“It has been agreed that the Iran-US memorandum will be signed digitally. Once the memorandum reaches the presidents of both countries for signature, any violation of it will carry a higher cost.”The agreement has also raised questions about Israel’s operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, while Israeli officials have said they will not accept limits on the country’s ability to defend its northern border.The post Lindsey Graham flipflops on Iran deal while other senators slam ‘blunder’ appeared first on World Israel News.