Cheung tells Pompeo to 'shut up' on Iran deal
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- Steven Cheung blasted former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on X, telling the one-time Trump ally to 'shut his stupid mouth' and writing that Pompeo 'has no idea what the f— he's talking about' and 'is not read into anything that's happening.'
- Mike Pompeo had compared the emerging deal to the Obama-era Iran agreement, saying it was 'straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the IRGC to build a WMD program and terrorize the world' and calling it 'not remotely America First.'
- Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also publicly criticized the emerging deal on Saturday, joining Pompeo in the conservative pushback against the negotiations.
- The emerging deal appeared to include a commitment by Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz—through which about 20 percent of the world's oil supply flows—and end the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, but did not appear to include any immediate limitations on Iran's nuclear program.
- The agreement was reported to lead to a 60-day ceasefire to buy time for further nuclear negotiations, and that nuclear gap appeared to drive much of the criticism from Pompeo and Senate conservatives.
- Trump wrote on Truth Social that 'Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,' confirming the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
- Trump had pulled security protection for Pompeo upon taking office in 2025 despite Iranian threats against the former secretary, reflecting a falling-out after Pompeo contemplated his own White House run.
Why it matters: The outburst lays bare a widening internal Republican rift over how to end the Iran war, with Trump's own former top diplomat and three GOP senators publicly attacking a deal the president is actively negotiating. With gas prices elevated and about 20% of global oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House's choice to prioritize a quick ceasefire over immediate nuclear constraints hands critics a potent campaign weapon from the right.
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