Trump’s Iran Deal Blasted By All Sides As ‘Incredibly Foolish . . . Much Bigger Than A Mistake’

BreakingBusinessTrump’s Iran Deal Blasted By All Sides As ‘Incredibly Foolish . . . Much Bigger Than A Mistake’BySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorJun 17, 2026, 11:14am EDTToplineThe U.S. deal to end the war in Iran was widely panned across the political spectrum in the wake of reports suggesting it heavily favors Iran and leaves the regime better off than it was before the war. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsNew York Times neoconservative columnist Bret Stephens, who supported the war initially, wrote that the “hard men of Tehran appear to have scored a decisive victory over the vain man of Washington,” accusing Trump of betraying Israel, the Iranian people and Americans who supported the war, and calling the deal “a debacle.”Trump ally Steve Bannon tweeted “the $300 Billion Fund for Iran’s Reconstruction Should Come to the United States First Until America is Made Whole for ALL Costs Associated with This War INCLUDING A SIGNIFICANT BONUS FOR ALL OF OUR TROOPS,” referring to the private fund that has already committed half that amount to trigger investments in Iran, not rebuild what has been destroyed in the war as Bannon stated, Reuters reported.Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on his podcast Wednesday that it’s an “incredibly foolish idea” and “utterly indefensible” to give Iran access to $300 billion.Former Vice President Mike Pence expressed support for the war initially in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, but said the deal is “much bigger than a mistake,” adding that he’s particularly concerned about “these immediate concessions, particularly sanctions wavered right out of the gate.”Conservative radio host Erick Erickson reposted a video compilation of Trump bashing the Obama-era Iran deal in multiple instances: “I w...