‘Smacks of appeasement’ – Mike Pence rips Trump’s Iran deal

President Trump’s former vice president praises campaign against Iran but lambasts the interim deal with Tehran, calling it “much bigger than a mistake.”

By World Israel News Staff

Former Vice President Mike Pence warned Tuesday that the Trump administration’s reported agreement with Iran would be “much bigger than a mistake” if it gives Tehran sanctions relief before securing the dismantlement of its nuclear and missile programs.

Pence made the comments in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, joining a growing group of Republicans expressing concern over the terms of a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the US-Iran war.

Collins asked Pence whether he believed the reported agreement was a mistake.

“It’s much bigger than a mistake,” Pence said.

Pence said the reported terms suggested the administration was giving Tehran major concessions before Iran had taken irreversible steps on its nuclear program.

“It smacks of appeasement,” he said.

The former vice president praised Trump’s decision to use force against Iran earlier in the conflict, saying he wanted “to give the president all the credit in the world for making this decision.”

But he said the US should not move from military pressure to financial relief unless Tehran first gives up key military capabilities.

According to reports on the emerging agreement, the memorandum would extend a ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow further talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

Reuters reported that US officials said the pact had been signed by Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, with a formal signing ceremony expected in Switzerland.

The agreement has not yet been publicly released.

Trump said Monday that the text would be made available after the formal signing and said Tuesday that he was willing to send it to Congress for review.

Republican lawmakers have said they are waiting to see the full document before taking a position.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans were pressing the White House to provide the memorandum’s text, while other lawmakers raised questions about sanctions relief, oil sales and whether the agreement would prevent Iran from rebuilding its military and nuclear capabilities.

Pence has taken a harder line, arguing that any arrangement that leaves Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact would repeat the mistakes conservatives said were made under the 2015 nuclear deal.

In an earlier NewsNation interview, Pence said he did not trust Tehran and warned against accepting an agreement short of dismantlement.

“I just don’t trust the Iranians,” Pence said. “No deal is better than a bad deal. Unless the Iranians forfeit and dismantle their nuclear program and their ballistic missile program, I don’t think the American people will trust the regime in Tehran.”

Reuters reported that the agreement would gradually reopen Hormuz and that any sanctions relief would depend on Iran’s willingness to address nuclear issues.

Other reports said Tehran could be allowed to resume oil and fuel sales quickly under the interim arrangement, while more difficult questions about uranium enrichment and inspections would be left for a later phase.

Trump has defended the agreement, saying the war is ending on favorable terms and that Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He wrote Sunday that “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” and said the Strait of Hormuz would be fully reopened.