Trump signs deal that Iran labels ‘a record of US failure’ | First Thing

Good morning. Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran , claiming it delivered a “major win” for the US – even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”. In extraordinary remarks, Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles program and the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. In this analysis piece , Andrew Roth notes how the US entered the war with maximalist goals but exits it with a pragmatic decision to end conflict despite the political cost. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “The agreement is a record of US failure. People will see it and judge.” How have US Republicans reacted to the deal? Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, appeared to soften his view of the deal after a “very lengthy and productive” conversation with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff. But his fellow senator Ted Cruz, who has backed the war, said: “History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. …