Sen. James Lankford said Sunday that any agreement between the Trump administration and Iran should go before Congress for ratification, arguing that legislative approval would give such a deal greater staying power and legitimacy.
The Oklahoma Republican told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that a congressional vote would provide "a more lasting effect" compared to executive action alone. He framed the broader goal as breaking what he described as Iran's 47-year pattern of attacking Americans, their assets, and regional allies. "To try to end that forever helps us in this generation and in future generations," Lankford said.
Lankford used the occasion to hammer the Obama-era nuclear accord, saying Trump was justified in withdrawing from it. The 2015 deal, never approved by Congress, "opened a pathway towards a nuclear weapon, and just delayed it outside of the Obama presidency," he contended. He predicted the Trump administration would pursue tougher terms than what Obama negotiated.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the original Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, which required Iran to limit uranium enrichment in exchange for relief from international sanctions. On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the Obama accord was "an easy, beautiful, smooth road to a Nuclear Weapon" and claimed his own agreement with Iran would be "the exact opposite." During his first term, Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated sanctions.
Current negotiations took on urgency after military escalations in late February, when the U.S. and Israel conducted joint strikes on Iranian targets. Iran's response included closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for global oil traffic, sending fuel prices higher worldwide.
Trump suggested Saturday that a deal signing was imminent and that the strait would reopen immediately afterward. He posted that the agreement included protection against nuclear weapons development but did not disclose other specifics. He also warned that if negotiations failed, "we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said negotiations had moved closer to completion than ever. However, Tehran's semiofficial news agency Fars reported that Iranian officials had not yet finalized their approval, and Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman blamed "the other side's inconsistency" for delays in signing.
Lankford acknowledged he has not reviewed the full terms but said achieving three goals would represent a major success for the U.S.: eliminating Iran's nuclear program, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, and halting Iranian support for terrorist organizations.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Lankford's call for congressional ratification is smart politics that could give Trump a rare bipartisan win, but Tehran's hesitation suggests this deal remains far from done."
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