President Donald Trump’s agreement with Iran is drawing a mixed response from some of his most loyal supporters.
A new CBS News poll shows that 56% of self-described MAGA voters believe the US should bring the conflict with Iran to an end now, while 44% say Washington should keep fighting until “Iran gives up more.” Among self-identified Republicans overall, 60% said the conflict should stop, compared with 40% who favored continuing the war to secure additional concessions from Tehran.
Republican voters also appear far from united on whether Trump’s deal delivers a clear advantage for the United States.
According to the CBS survey, 47% of MAGA supporters said the agreement favors the US, while 12% said it benefits Iran more and 41% viewed it as “about equal” for both countries. Among Republicans as a whole, just 39% said the deal is better for the US, 19% said it is better for Iran, and 42% said it appears balanced between the two nations.
The official 14-point agreement with Iran was made public last week, around the same time the poll was conducted from June 17 to June 19. The plan has prompted unusual criticism from some Republican lawmakers, including those who argued the US should have maintained military pressure and pushed for a tougher arrangement.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) criticized the agreement in a post on X, saying that “Reagan is rolling over in his grave.”
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal,” Cassidy wrote.
Cassidy, who lost his re-election bid and is speaking with the freedom of a lame-duck senator, is not alone in voicing concerns. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a prominent Trump administration ally, has also said it is “not remotely in America’s interest” for the US to pay for Iran’s rebuilding.
“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a bad idea,” Cruz said, per the Daily Wire.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) continues to push military intervention should Iran not cooperate. After talking with Trump, Graham said that if the deal fails, “President Trump is gonna take the Strait of Hormuz over by force.”
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“We’ll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation,” Graham said. “If Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States we’ll obliterate them.”
In the deal, Iran can resell its oil without sanctions and have access to $300 billion for the “reconstruction and economic development” — though Trump has insisted US taxpayers won’t be on the hook for that, rather regional investors.
Another controversial aspect of the proposed deal concerns the future of the Strait of Hormuz. In the plan, Iran can work with Oman to “define the future administration” of the Strait. Some worry that this is giving up too much power on what used to be a toll-free waterway.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that “there will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America.”
However, after last week’s ceasefire memorandum — where the Strait was supposed to reopen for the 60-day period without charging vessels — Iran’s joint military command claimed it closed the Strait, citing a “clear breach” of commitments. The US, however, said the Strait is open, and shipping trackers show increased traffic.
Higher gas prices in the US — right before the midterm elections — have motivated Republicans to want an end to the war.
The poll shows that 42% of all Americans — regardless of party affiliation — expect gas prices to go down, 35% expect prices to stay stagnant and 23% expect gas to go up.
The MOU kicked off 60 days of talks between the US and Iran to sort through the thorniest issues, such as dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.
After a first round of talks in Switzerland, Vice President JD Vance said Iran agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country to oversee key aspects of their nuclear program. He said the US and Iran have approved a roadmap to guide talks for the next 60 days.
When it comes to why the deal was agreed upon, 66% of Americans polled in the CBS survey believe the Trump administration reached an agreement because it wants the conflict to be over, while only 34% believe that it thinks the US has met its goals.
Only 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of Iran, while 64% disapprove.
The CBS poll was conducted June 17-19, 2026, following the release of the MOU. The CBS/YouGov survey interviewed 2,519 US adults. The margin of error plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
