Pence says Trump deserves latitude on MOU with Iran

Former Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview that President Trump deserves latitude on reaching a preliminary agreement with Iran, but noted he still has “very real concerns.”

“I believe the fact that President Trump took historic action to strike Iran directly last year and to have our armed forces take the fight directly to Iran this year in Operation Epic Fury has earned President Trump some latitude in trying to achieve a negotiated settlement here. But I have very real concerns, at least at what is rumbling out of the public debate,” Pence told The Hill in an interview on Tuesday.

“I spent a lot of time in the Situation Room over the years. I know the difference between what actually has been settled and what gets talked about in the media, so I don’t want to prejudge. But as I said, the president has earned the room. I welcome the cessation of hostilities, but I just don’t trust the Iranians,” the former vice president continued.

Pence’s comments come as questions swirl about Trump’s preliminary deal with Iran, which has yet to be released publicly.

The administration has maintained that Iran has made guarantees that it would not develop a nuclear weapon, and senior administration officials told reporters on Monday that no money would be released to Iran without commitments from Iran.

There are also reports that agreements include a plan to rehabilitate and economically develop Iran, with financing of $300 billion. It is not known where that financing would come from, though Trump has said it will not be from the U.S.

Many Republicans have held back on commenting publicly on the agreement. The full text of the deal is expected to be released in the coming days.

The preliminary peace deal has also raised questions about the future of the U.S.-Israeli relationship as Israel insists on striking Lebanon in an effort to target the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah despite the ongoing peace negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel will keep its troops in Lebanon despite the preliminary deal, noting “the struggle has not ended.”

Trump voiced his frustrations with Netanyahu on Tuesday, speaking from the G7 summit in France.

“Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did. I have had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu.

When asked he believes Trump has let Israel down, Pence said he is “very confident that our president and our people will always stand with Israel.”

“I know the president well. His rhetoric was different than mine, but I’m proud of the fact that in our four years together, we were the most pro-Israel administration in American history,” he said.

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