U.S. President Donald Trump clashed with a Republican senator on Wednesday as anger over his Iran war and the fragile peace framework with Tehran spilled into a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill.
Several Republicans said Trump and Senator Bill Cassidy engaged in a shouting match after Cassidy pressed the administration to explain a deal that offers Iran financial incentives while appearing to fall short of the goals Trump set when he launched the conflict.
“The American people need to know more than we are being told,” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. “It does not appear, although I don’t know for sure, that the course of this is going the way that we were told.”
The confrontation underscored growing unease inside Trump’s own party as the war becomes a political liability ahead of November’s congressional elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only one in four Americans believes the war was worth its cost, while Trump’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since he returned to office.
The exchange came one day after the Senate voted to direct Trump to end the war, a largely symbolic but politically damaging rebuke. Cassidy was among four Republicans who joined Democrats in backing the resolution.
Trump did not directly address the dispute with Cassidy, who lost a Republican primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed challenger. But he criticised the Senate vote, saying Iran would interpret it as confusion in Washington.
“Iran sees that, they go ‘what’s that all about’. Now you know, it’s meaningless, right?” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Hours later, the administration asked Congress for about $70 billion to cover the cost of the Iran war, adding to an already massive U.S. military budget.
Cassidy later said on X that he appreciated a “thorough briefing” from Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, adding that the White House had moved quickly to address his concerns.
The initial U.S.-Iran accord has allowed shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, easing fears over global energy supplies. The waterway previously handled around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Oil prices fell Wednesday to their lowest level since before the war began as supply concerns eased.
But the deal remains clouded by contradictory accounts from Washington and Tehran. Key issues including financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, control of the Strait of Hormuz and the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon remain disputed.
The framework allows for 60 days of further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and other unresolved issues.
The proposed settlement has also raised concern among Gulf states, many of which were attacked by Iran during the war and view the deal as too generous to Tehran. Regional governments are especially worried about a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund and possible sanctions waivers, fearing the money could help Iran rebuild its military.
The agreement also does not address Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Iran has agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for 60 days, but Tehran has suggested it could later impose tolls or fees. A diplomat briefed on the talks said Iran may propose environmental, navigation and security charges in future negotiations with Gulf states. Washington and its Gulf allies oppose the idea.
“We’re not going to do anything that undermines the security of our allies, our longstanding allies in the region,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Kuwait City, where the U.S. embassy resumed operations after being closed for months during the war.
Separately in Washington, Lebanon and Israel discussed a U.S.-backed proposal for Israeli forces to withdraw from some territory seized during the war and transfer control to the Lebanese army.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said Israel would not pull its troops out of the area.
Israel has been fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon since the group attacked Israel on March 2 in support of Iran. Tehran has made an end to hostilities in Lebanon a central demand in any peace agreement with Washington.
An Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed at least two people Wednesday, Lebanese sources said. Israel said it struck two armed Hezbollah fighters. It was not immediately clear whether both sides were referring to the same incident.