Republicans in Washington D.C., have come to see the war with Iran and the increasingly fraught efforts to resolve it as a defining issue for the party's 2028 presidential hopefuls, according to The Hill, with some already sweating about the situation becoming a "major political liability."
"Republican senators see the conflict with Iran and the peace negotiations led by Vice President Vance as defining issues of the 2028 presidential primary, in which Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considered the early front-runners," the outlet explained. "While the deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been panned by Republican defense hawks as too lopsided in Iran’s favor, some GOP lawmakers say it could be an important win for Vance if he gets the United States out of a costly war and Iran relinquishes its nuclear ambitions."
It continued: "But if Iran is able to impose tolls on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and amass tens of billions of dollars from oil exports while continuing to stockpile weapons-grade nuclear material and back militant proxies throughout the Middle East, the deal could become a major political liability for Vance, GOP lawmakers warn."
One GOP lawmaker, speaking anonymously, told The Hill that it would become a "major problem" for Vance's future prospects if the Iran deal provided that country with "tens of billions of dollars," especially if it "continues to support Hezbollah and Hamas." He further warned that Iran "is not trustworthy” and “has never adhered to an agreement yet."
“All this money for Iran is going to be a real problem,” the senator said. “[Vance] is being asked to sell it. All the money in there for Iran, I just think that’s going to be tough. It’s a lot of money.”
Other Republicans told The Hill that they absolutely believe Trump's seemingly half-joking remarks about pinning the blame for a failed Iran deal on Vance.
“It wasn’t a joke,” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told the outlet. “My sense is the president was concerned about the midterm election and gas prices and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, so this gets that open, but I think he’s had to pay a very dear price to get that done. I think we should be clear-eyed and realistic that this isn’t going to persuade the Iranian regime to go in peace.”
For the time being, The Hill noted that Rubio has been "keeping his distance" from the Iran negotiations, "which has clear implications for a potential presidential run in two years." Another anonymous Republican suggested that he could use a failed Iran deal to run in 2028 on his earlier position that the U.S. should be less involved in foreign affairs and remain focused on China.
