Defending the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, President Donald Trump challenged the reasoning of skeptics who have questioned the initial deal, arguing that it represents a win-win resolution to the conflict that erupted on February 28.
The war had roiled global oil markets and dampened economic growth as energy prices fluctuated and resulted in uncertainty across the Middle East, one of the largest supplier of oil and gas.
Trump particularly pushed back against critics who contend he has not been “tough enough on Iran.”
“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” he wrote on Truth Social.
There is no 300 Billion Dollar payment to Iran by the U.S. That’s Fake News! All there is for the U.S. is Success, Lower Oil Prices, and Victory. Check out the Stock Market. Dumocrat propaganda at play!!! President DJT
( TS: Jun 18 2026, 12:49 PM ET )… pic.twitter.com/IMhaCStdz5
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) June 18, 2026
In a separate post, Trump asserted that signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran has made the United States “strong, safe, and respected like never before.”
“Oil is flowing, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon (the world will be safe!), the stock markets are roaring, jobs are at records and prices are dropping (affordability!),” the President wrote a day after formally inking the agreement, which was brokered by Pakistan.
“Our country is strong, safe and respected like never before. You’re welcome!” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Americans have begun to see the deal’s positive impact at the fuel pump, with the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline dropping below $4 for the first time since March.
OIL IS FLOWING, IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON (THE WORLD WILL BE SAFE!), THE STOCK MARKETS ARE ROARING, JOBS ARE AT RECORDS, AND PRICES ARE DROPPING (AFFORDABILITY!). OUR COUNTRY IS STRONG, SAFE, AND RESPECTED LIKE NEVER BEFORE. “YOU’RE WELCOME!” President DJT
( TS: Jun… pic.twitter.com/MsdIdaEWF8
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) June 18, 2026
The framework signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ends the costly war, resumes energy and trade shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and paves the way for further negotiations between Washington and Tehran on addressing Iran’s nuclear stockpile—a major point of friction from the U.S. perspective.
However, some Republican lawmakers have argued that the deal does not go far enough to address American concerns over Iran’s nuclear policy and that it provides Tehran with substantial funds without any visible change in its behavior.
Senator Ted Cruz contended that billions of dollars flowing into Tehran’s coffers could embolden the regime and intensify its threat to America. “I don’t want to see theocratic Islamists who want to kill us made stronger. So if this deal is giving them $300 billion, that’s a mistake,” he said.
Reagan is rolling over in his grave. 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.
Before the war, the…
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 17, 2026
Fellow GOP Senator Bill Cassidy termed the MOU “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.” In a social media post, he remarked, “Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive. Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped.”
Republican Senator John Cornyn, representing Texas, also faulted the Administration’s approach to Iran deal, noted that Israel appears to have been “left out” of the arrangement.
He said the agreement seeks “permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
“I would encourage them to continue to take the fight to Hezbollah, because, unfortunately, now Iran is going to have hundreds of millions of dollars to support its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah,” Cornyn said Thursday.
“So, I think that was a mistake.”
A Summary of Islamabad Agreement Between United States and Iran
Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also expressed reservations.
“When you look at the 14 points that the administration has agreed to, it looks like Iran has won on just about every one of them,” Schumer said.
Democrats have contrasted the deal with the one the United States and major powers entered under former president Barack Obama in 2015, and call the Trump deal a failure.
“Trump has done a very poor job of negotiating. We are worse off than we were when the war started. The Strait of Hormuz under greater Iranian control now than then. The leadership of Iran more militant now than then. … This will be regarded as one of the biggest American disasters,” he told reporters.
Comments and reporting in parts of the American mainstream media, including Fox News, have also raised concerns over what they view as significant concessions made to Iran.
US, Iran Enter Pakistan-Mediated Deal With Far-Reaching Regional Ramifications
The president also used the G7 Summit in Europe to address separate regional tensions, taking aim at key ally Israel over its military actions in Lebanon. Speaking at a press conference during the G7 Summit in France—days after Israel bombed a Beirut neighborhood in retaliation for Iran-linked Hezbollah attacks—Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We have a little dispute over Lebanon,” Trump said. “I say, ‘You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.’ I’m not saying they shouldn’t protect themselves. I’m saying when two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly, they could do a better job.”
Israel stated this week that it will keep its forces in Lebanon. Netanyahu, who has reportedly been upset with the latest developments, has acknowledged the significance of maintaining the U.S. partnership but also noted that Israel’s struggle against militancy continues.
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President Trump has expressed particular frustration over Israel’s strikes on Lebanon, which came just as Washington and Tehran were on the verge of finalizing the agreement last weekend. He has also noted that Lebanon—which hosts Iran-backed Hezbollah and has been repeatedly struck by Israel—has been treated unfairly.
“I feel very bad for Lebanon. Lebanon was a great culture—they had the professors, the doctors, the lawyers. It was an incredible culture, perhaps the highest in the Middle East for years, for centuries. But for the last 50 or 60 years, they have been just trashed; they have been living in hell,” Trump said.
Separately, the President has warned Iran against backtracking on its commitments, signaling that he would be prepared to resume military action against the country if Tehran fails to uphold its obligations.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
