Pro-Israel hawks in US criticise Iran MoU but avoid clashing with Trump

Washington, DC – A few months ago, it would have been unthinkable for a mainstream politician in the United States — let alone a Republican senator — to acknowledge Iran’s right to self-defence. But on Wednesday, that’s exactly what Senator Roger Marshall did. “I think that they have to be able to defend themselves,” he told the news channel CNN. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list Analysts say such statements are a sign of shifting attitudes in the US. This week, in the wake of President Donald Trump agreeing to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran, some Republicans appear to have dulled their hawkishness. Still, many pro-Israel groups and politicians are starting to mobilise against the deal, setting up a potential clash with the White House and those seeking a speedy end to the US-Israel war with Iran. “Donald Trump can sell pretty much anything to his hardcore base,” said Matthew Duss, the executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, a research and advocacy nonprofit. “If he says the Iran war is going great one day and then reverses himself completely and says we’re signing a deal to end the war the next day, there’s a big part of his base that will just go along with it, and they will get angry at anyone who publicly disagrees.” Even so, Duss stressed that pro-Israel groups and politicians are still “very upset” with the memorandum. …