Sen. Roger Wicker warns Trump against pursuing a ‘weak’ Iran deal

While administration officials signal that talks with Tehran are making progress, a top Senate Republican is publicly pressuring President Donald Trump not to pursue what he describes as a weak Iran deal.

Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a harshly worded warning Thursday, urging Trump not to abandon military pressure on the Iranian regime for the sake of diplomacy.

“We are at a time that will define President Trump’s legacy,” Wicker said in a statement. “His instincts were to finish what he started in Iran, but he is being ill-advised to pursue a deal that is not worth the paper it is written on.”

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“Our Commander in Chief needs to allow America’s capable armed forces to destroy Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” Wicker continued. “Efforts to reach further agreements with Iran’s Islamist regime risks the perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. The time to act is now.”

The remarks reveal growing tensions in Republican national security circles at a time when the Trump administration is uncertain whether to reach a negotiated agreement with Iran or continue military action against the Iranian regime and its nuclear capabilities.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.

Wicker’s comments came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged “some progress” had been made in ongoing talks with Iran and warned that no deal had been reached.

“There has been some progress,” Rubio said Thursday. “I don’t exaggerate. I don’t underestimate.”

Wicker’s comments came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged “some progress” had been made in ongoing negotiations with Iran. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“We’re not there yet,” Rubio added. “I hope we get there.”

Rubio said key issues remain unresolved, including Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and whether Tehran would be allowed any future uranium enrichment capacity under a potential deal.

“The issue of highly enriched uranium needs to be discussed. Its disposal needs to be addressed. And of course, the issue of future enrichment needs to be addressed as well,” Rubio said. he said.

He also noted that talks on the Strait of Hormuz remain part of broader negotiations.

The comments marked one of the clearest public signs yet that active diplomacy between Washington and Iran continues despite recent military tensions and fears of a broader regional conflict.

Trump has recently signaled that he is open to giving diplomacy additional time before considering further military action.

The ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 4. A report dated May 15 stated that a ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and brought towards Iranian waters. (Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images)

“If I can save war by waiting a few days, if I can save people from being killed by waiting a few days, I think that’s a great thing,” Trump said recently.

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The administration’s diplomatic push coincided with intensified regional mediation efforts, including a high-profile visit to Iran by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir; The visit is widely seen as part of broader back-channel efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions between Washington and Iran.

The visit further fueled speculation that Pakistan was playing a quiet intermediary role as negotiators explored possible frameworks to prevent further military tensions.

Still, Rubio repeatedly emphasized Thursday that the talks remain fragile and could eventually collapse.

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“We’re facing a very difficult group of people,” Rubio said. “It may not happen”

He added that Trump “has other options” if diplomacy fails, and emphasized that the president still prefers the “negotiated option and good deal.”