Sen. Lindsey Graham is warning that President Donald Trump’s newly announced Iran deal may already have a problem: Washington and Tehran do not appear to be describing the agreement the same way.
Graham’s warning came hours after Trump framed the Iran breakthrough as a done deal and moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to. I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters,” Graham posted on X.
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” he warned.
Trump had presented the breakthrough in triumphant terms on Truth Social.
“The Deal with Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RdSwyEdEtO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 14, 2026
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump posted earlier in the day.
“Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
The waterway had become one of the war’s economic pressure points, with restricted shipping feeding energy-market shockwaves and higher gas prices in the U.S.
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Washington answered Tehran’s move with a mid-April naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.
The agreement reportedly includes a 60-day negotiating period for both countries to work out the details of a broader pact addressing Iran’s nuclear program, its reserves of enriched uranium, sanctions relief, inspection requirements, and wider regional security concerns.
Reuters reported that Iran’s version of the draft includes a U.S. pause on new sanctions before a final deal and the release of $25 billion in frozen assets.
Tehran, under that draft, would commit to staying out of nuclear-weapons production and acquisition while halting further enrichment and facility expansion.
I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to. I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters.
I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the… https://t.co/3vSNSOc1mp
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 14, 2026
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated between Washington and Tehran, put the signing ceremony on the calendar for Friday in Switzerland.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News he expects to be in Switzerland and left open the possibility that Trump could join him.
Graham also reminded the White House that Congress gets a say.
“Any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote.”
He wants Vance and the negotiators in the room when lawmakers review the final product.
“I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress,” Graham continued. “Congratulations to all in getting us to this point. Time will tell.”
The possible breakthrough was already being tested by fresh violence in the region.
Trump had already warned the parties not to “blow” the moment as Lebanon threatened to pull the deal off course.
“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump:
This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured,… pic.twitter.com/Ee9ZWL4bti
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 14, 2026
“There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” he continued. “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”
Pete Hegseth projected confidence that the violence would not derail the talks.
“From all I know, we are on track. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. There’s logistics involved into how these things happen,” Hegseth told CBS.
On “Face the Nation,” Hegseth pointed to Hezbollah fire into northern Israel as the immediate danger and said Tehran needed to lean hard on the group.
WATCH: IDF strikes a Hezbollah command center in Beirut's Dahieh district that was used to plan and advance attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldier pic.twitter.com/KGSWlrIHWo
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 14, 2026
“Ultimately, obviously, we’re attuned to what’s happening with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel, which they need to stop doing, and Iran needs to encourage them to stop doing that in very adamant ways, and Israel was very measured in its response, understanding that … we’re on the verge of a deal,” Hegseth commented. “So, I don’t expect that to disrupt.”
Netanyahu and Katz framed Israel’s Beirut-area strikes as a response to “continued Hezbollah attacks on Israel’s territory.”
The regional tension rose further with reports that Hezbollah was planning attacks after days of fighting in Lebanon.
Tehran has argued that repeated Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets put Washington in violation of the Lebanon ceasefire.
Sen. Deb Fischer pushed back on the idea that Israel was trying to blow up Trump’s diplomacy.
“Israel is defending its country, and it’s defending its people,” Fischer said on Fox News Sunday. “We understand completely the terrorists that are on Israel’s border.”
“When you have Hezbollah causing disruptions, bombings in northern Israel, they have a right, they have a right to go in and defend themselves,” the Nebraska Republican continued. “I doubt … that they are trying to scuttle any kind of deal.”
Skepticism also came from Trump’s former vice president before the announcement.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” that he did not distrust Trump’s intentions, but said he had no faith in Tehran.
“My concern right now is not with the intentions of the president. Look, I think the president has earned a great deal of deference here by the American people. I just don’t trust the Iranians,” Pence said.
For Pence, anything short of dismantled nuclear and missile programs, reopened straits and an end to terror funding would not be enough.
“And I think the president and his team know well that no deal is better than a bad deal. Unless the Iranians forfeit and dismantle their nuclear program, dismantle their missile program, immediately open the straits and stop subsidizing terrorist groups across the region, then I think we would do well to simply let the armed forces of the United States of America finish the job,” Pence continued.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries treated Trump’s deal talk as a rerun, pointing to what he described as dozens of false starts.
“Well, we’d have to take a look at what the ultimate resolution is, if there is one,” Jeffries remarked during his “Meet the Press” appearance.
Jeffries put the blame back on Trump, calling the conflict “a disaster,” saying Iran was “stronger right now” and pointing to Trump’s withdrawal from the Obama-era nuclear deal.
“It was Donald Trump who made the decision to actually rip that agreement up because, apparently, he suffers from Obama derangement syndrome,” Jeffries said.
