Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stated on June 18, 2026, that Americans have suffered due to President Trump's military actions against Iran, referring to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) as a 'real gift to the Iranians.' During an event at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, she criticized the decision to abandon the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to limit Iran's nuclear program, and claimed it has cost the U.S. over $100 billion and resulted in the loss of 13 lives.
Pelosi emphasized that the MOU, which was reported to take immediate effect, would require the U.S. to contribute $300 billion and lift sanctions on Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the agreement, confirmed its terms.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), expressed concerns about the deal, labeling it a potential disaster. Cassidy referred to it as a significant foreign policy blunder, while Cruz criticized the financial aspects of the agreement.
In defense of the deal, Vice President Vance stated that the administration's approach to Iran has been transformative and dismissed concerns about the potential failure of the agreement, suggesting that the president was joking about assigning blame if the deal does not succeed.