Trump says Iran war critics are making it tougher for him to negotiate

President Trump said Monday that Iran peace talks will “work out well in the end” but grumbled that his critics are making the process harder and undercutting his negotiating position.

The U.S. and Iran are trying to finalize an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American blockade of ports while setting the table for a deal to constrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social. “But don’t the Dumocrats, and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans, understand that it is MUCH tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate, when political hacks keep negatively ‘chirping,’ at levels never seen before, over and over again, that I should move faster, or move slower, or go to war, or not go to war, or whatever.”

Mr. Trump reportedly wants tougher language limiting Iran’s nuclear capabilities before he approves a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend a ceasefire so the two sides can negotiate a complete end to hostilities.

Over the weekend, Iran shot down a U.S. drone, and the American side struck Iranian radar sites and a commercial vessel that tried to evade Mr. Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports.

Democrats and other critics have repeatedly accused Mr. Trump of launching a “war of choice” against Iran on Feb. 28 without setting a firm strategy or goals.

Mainly, they point to U.S. gas prices, which are well above $4 per gallon on average, compared to slightly below $3 when the war began.

Republicans would like to see a positive outcome from the war before the conflict becomes a liability in November’s midterm elections.

Mr. Trump’s post on Monday signaled that disagreements within the U.S. make it difficult for him to get the upper hand in negotiations.

Iranian leaders frequently point to discontent within the U.S. to needle the president and exude confidence.