U.S. officials face bipartisan objections over provisional Iran agreement

Bipartisan objections emerged Sunday to a provisional agreement between the United States and Iran. A Republican senator posted a Wall Street Journal excerpt about sanctions evasion, while a senior Democratic figure described the memorandum as containing excessive upfront concessions.

She contrasted the current terms with an earlier accord under which sanctions relief occurred only after full agreement and restricted funds to humanitarian uses.

Threats and negotiations The president stated that military attacks on Iran could resume if the country does not restrain its proxy in Lebanon. The same statement included the possibility of U.S. forces taking control of the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.

Negotiations in Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, concluded their first round Sunday morning. The vice president said progress had been made in recent hours and additional advances were expected.

Additional commentary A second Democratic senator declined to credit the administration for ending recent conflict, describing the memorandum as granting Iran billions of dollars in benefits. An energy department official said the talks would clarify Iranian goals and noted that recent military actions had altered Iran's negotiating position.

The energy official declined to predict when U.S. consumers would see pre-conflict gasoline prices return but stated that prices would continue to decline.