Senator James Lankford has called for any agreement to end the conflict with Iran to be ratified by Congress, emphasizing the importance of a lasting resolution. Ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran seek to address nuclear development and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though a final deal has not yet been confirmed.
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On Sunday, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma stated that congressional ratification of any potential agreement to resolve the conflict in Iran would be preferable, noting that legislative approval would ensure greater durability, and he emphasized that President Donald Trump aims to halt decades of Iranian aggression targeting Americans and regional partners.
On Sunday, Lankford also expressed disapproval of the nuclear agreement with Iran from the previous administration, noting he would anticipate any arrangement negotiated by Trump to have greater provisions. Lankford informed the program's host that the accord on nuclear matters, which was never approved by the legislature during the prior administration, was appropriately abandoned by the subsequent president. The senator from Oklahoma further stated that the previous agreement had created a route to nuclear armament, merely postponing the timeline beyond the administration then in office.
Trump has repeatedly opposed the nuclear deal from the Obama administration that traded sanctions relief for Iran's agreement to restrict uranium enrichment, arguing the arrangement does not advance lasting strategic goals. On Saturday, the president posted on Truth Social that the nuclear agreement from the previous administration created a route for Iran to develop nuclear arms, asserting the nation would have acquired such weapons by now. During his initial presidency, Trump withdrew from the agreement and reinstated economic penalties against Iran.
The statement follows indications from both nations that an agreement may soon be reached to conclude the joint military campaign that the U.S. and Israel initiated against Iran in late February. Following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit channel, global petroleum prices increased and fuel costs rose domestically, with the administration indicating on Saturday that an accord would be completed the next day to restore passage through the waterway.
The president withheld most details of the arrangement, noting only that it includes provisions to block nuclear weapons development, while Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday also indicated talks were approaching finalization, though Lankford acknowledged he had not examined the arrangement but observed that blocking a nuclear program, keeping the Strait of Hormuz navigable, and halting a nation from sponsoring terrorist operations against neighboring countries and the United States would constitute a considerable advantage, even as Tehran's semiofficial Fars news agency reported Sunday that Iranian officials had not yet finalized the arrangement.
Iranian state media reported Saturday that Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei indicated the agreement would not be finalized Sunday owing to unresolved differences, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately described the talks as approaching completion.
The Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, was established in 2015 to limit Iran's nuclear program and provide verification measures in exchange for sanctions relief. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading to increased tensions and changes in Iran's nuclear activities. Discussions about a new agreement continue, with experts highlighting the need for updated verification and transparency measures.
