Kelly: Trump deal makes Iran ‘more powerful’

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Wednesday that President Trump’s new deal with Iran to end the war makes Tehran “more powerful.”

“Well, I think it emboldens the Iranians and makes them more powerful, it gives them resources to build more ballistic missiles and may leave them with the ability to develop a nuclear weapon,” Kelly told MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle on “Money, Power, Politics.”

Over the weekend, Trump announced a deal with Iran, a breakthrough that came after three months of on-again, off-again fighting that devastated the region, stressed the global economy and raised the prices of oil and gas.

“What I’m hearing and seeing so far in this plan, this is like total capitulation. Imagine if Joe Biden or Barack Obama signed this deal, what Donald Trump would say about it, and so if this is his plan, I think at least if Congress gets a say, this thing’s a nonstarter,” Kelly said.

Trump has said the text of the agreement to end the war will not be unveiled until it is signed in person by Washington and Tehran at the end of the week. However, multiple outlets have said they obtained the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU).

On Wednesday morning, White House communications director Steve Cheung said the reported text “does not reflect the language of the actual MOU.”

Some of the key provisions included in the reported agreement are an end to fighting on “all fronts,” including Lebanon, where Israel has been seeking to destroy Hezbollah, and both sides agreeing to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to its prewar levels within 30 days of the deal’s signing.