Hakeem Jeffries

The top Democrats in Congress are keeping the Trump administration’s new deal with Iran at arms length.

President Donald Trump and officials in Tehran announced Sunday they agreed to a more permanent end to the conflict, which has reportedly killed thousands, disrupted the global economy and destabilized the Middle East. Since the weekend, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Senate’s Chuck Schumer have resisted acknowledging the treaty, instead calling attention to the war’s disastrous consequences.

“My concern has been from the beginning that this is a war that we never should have entered into,” Jeffries told Fox’s New York City TV station Monday. “It was a reckless war of choice that obviously has cost the American people significantly, particularly as it relates to skyrocketing gas prices, in an environment where the cost of living was already too high.”

The congressman’s focus on affordability concerns aligns with his party’s strategy heading into the midterm elections. The conflict, which has intensified pressure at the pump, has given Democrats ammunition to use against a Republican Party seen as unresponsive to voters’ economic anxiety. Trump has repeatedly dismissed issues with the cost of living, even as the war raised prices and instilled doubt into his 2024 supporters’ minds.

“The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran: they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” the president told reporters last month. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations, I don’t think about anybo—I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing that motivates me.”

Iran’s nuclear program is reportedly subject to more negotiations under the deal, which is being referred to as a “memorandum of understanding.” Schumer, demanding the release of the treaty’s conditions in a Monday statement, cast doubt on Trump’s ability to secure favorable terms for the U.S.

“We’ve been told dozens of times that the war is over. Dozens of times, we have been left disappointed,” the senator said. “The American people deserve details and full transparency – what exactly is in this ‘understanding’? Will servicemembers remain in harm’s way? And what have we actually gained here from Trump’s war?”

Trump told reporters Tuesday he would consider briefing Congress on the treaty, which he said this past weekend would introduce “peace” and “security” to the Middle East.

“Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace.”

Trump withdrew the U.S. in his first term from a deal entered by the Obama administration that restricted Iran’s nuclear capabilities.