Republicans withhold backing for Trump’s Iran deal - report

Richard Fontaine said on Monday that the newly signed US-Iran agreement is unlikely to usher in a new era of stability or moderation in the Middle East, adding that Iran’s hardline system and regional posture will remain unchanged.

In a post on X, the CEO of the Center for a New American Security said the deal may reshape immediate dynamics but will not resolve core conflicts involving Iran, the United States, and regional actors.

“There will not be a new era of peace and moderation in the Middle East, in which Iran gives up revolutionary ideology in exchange for economic incentives and good ties with Washington,” Fontaine wrote. “The hardline regime, one bent on pushing the US from the region and harming Israel, is here to stay.”

US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday on X that President Donald Trump’s policy on Iran has secured the outcome that Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon, praising the administration’s approach as effective despite political opposition.

"The President has been clear from day one: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Once again, President Trump's efforts to establish peace have paid off for the American people, despite countless attempts to thwart it by people who hate America and President Trump," Vance said.

Iranian lawmaker Meysam Zohourian on Monday cautioned against holding a formal signing ceremony for the reported US-Iran memorandum, adding that such events primarily serve media narratives rather than producing tangible outcomes.

"What ultimately remained from the Gaza peace agreement were the photos and images of the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, which portrayed Trump as the peace leader in Gaza in the media. After the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, neither did Israel's aggression against Gaza come to an end, nor was a single dollar spent in Gaza through the illusory $53 billion reconstruction fund envisioned in the agreement," Zohourian posted on X.

"I hope Mr. Dr. Qalibaf also does not accept the government's idea and proposal to attend the official signing ceremony of the agreement with Vance in Geneva, so that the image desired by the enemy of the Iranian nation is not created. Fundamentally, there is no rational necessity for the in-person signing of the memorandum of understanding," he added.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran agreed to never develop a nuclear weapon, while rejecting reports that Washington would pay Tehran $300 million as part of the arrangement.

"Iran has agreed to never have a Nuclear Weapon! Also, the story that the U.S. is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!" he posted on Truth Social.

US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that the Trump administration expects Israel to eventually support the US-Iran agreement, even as differences remain with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the deal.

In an interview with NBC’s “Nightly News,” Vance said the agreement would ultimately improve Israel’s security and expressed confidence that Israeli leaders would “buy in” as implementation progresses.

“I think fundamentally the United States, we have our interests,” Vance added. “We also have aligned interests, but also sometimes we’re going to disagree on issues from time to time, and I think that’s totally reasonable.”