U.S. Republican senators are demanding the disclosure of details and a congressional review of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war that the Donald Trump administration plans to sign with Iran.
According to Bloomberg News, Republican senators, including Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), expressed frustration on June 16 (local time) over not knowing the specific details of the MOU.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), when asked by reporters for his thoughts on the MOU on that day, said, "We have to see the details."
He added that if a final agreement is reached in the full-scale negotiations following the MOU, Congress should vote on it.
According to the Associated Press, Thune told reporters, "I don't really know what's in it," while Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said, "If it's a secret agreement, how can I take it seriously?"
According to the political news outlet The Hill, when asked if he was trying to obtain the full text of the MOU, Thune said, "We're trying to get it."
"Since I've been in this job, we haven't had this kind of issue," he said, admitting that the current situation—where the administration has not sufficiently shared the details of a major international agreement even with the leadership of the ruling party—is unusual. He added that Republican senators have requested a briefing from the administration.
He noted that while the administration has not yet notified them of a briefing schedule, he speculated it could happen within this week.
Thune said he spoke with Vice President JD Vance "a few days ago" about the ceasefire negotiations with Iran, but did not hear about the substantive details of the agreement.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) remarked on the MOU, saying, "If you listen to the Iranian side, it sounds terrible, and if you listen to our side, it seems to make sense. Let's look at it and see what it actually is."
Vice President Vance explained in a CNN interview on June 15 that the MOU is a "very general document" and that "how to handle various issues will have to be discussed during the technical negotiation phase." In an NBC News interview on the same day, he said the MOU is about a page and a half long and clearly includes a provision allowing Iran to permit the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.
When asked at a side event of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Tuesday whether he would send the agreement to Congress, President Trump said, "I haven't thought about that, but yes, I will. I'll send it to Congress."
He added, "I like that idea. Who wouldn't approve it?"
Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, the administration is required to submit any agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program to Congress for review.
If Congress objects, it can pursue a resolution to block the president from modifying sanctions against Iran, though the president can veto such a resolution.
Meanwhile, a Democratic-sponsored resolution to limit war powers against Iran failed to pass on Tuesday, falling in a procedural Senate vote with 47 in favor and 48 opposed.
Most of the 53 Republican senators voted against it, but four—Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)—voted in favor, while two—Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri)—did not participate in the vote.
The failed resolution, under the War Powers Act, sought to prevent President Donald Trump from continuing to deploy U.S. military forces in hostilities against Iran without congressional approval.
Reported by JIN Sang-myeong | Video by Hong Jin-young | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
'Even Republicans Doubt It?' 'Why Does Nobody Know!' Trump Allies Voice Concerns Over Secret Iran MOU Despite G7 Explanations
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