'Worst foreign policy mistake': Ex-US ambassador tears apart Trump's Iran deal victory lap
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul doubled down on his censure of the administration's war with Iran, directly correcting Vice President J.D. Vance after he claimed keeping the Strait of Hormuz open had been a key priority for the president. "The strait was open before your war. Your war closed it. And then you had to pledge billions and billions to these autocrats to reopen it. This unnecessary war is Trump's worst foreign policy mistake," McFaul wrote on X.
McFaul's comments came amid renewed tensions after Iran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz again, citing alleged ceasefire violations by Israel in Lebanon. However, the US military countered Iran's closure claims, telling Reuters that Tehran does not control the strait, adding that traffic continues to flow with U.S. forces monitoring the situation. But it still shows just how tenuous the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding remains, barely a week after the two countries put their signatures to it.
Israel is our democratic ally fighting Hezbollah, Iran’s terrorist proxy with American blood on its hands. President Trump is right: Iran needs to restrain its terrorist proxy, the U.S. should never restrain Israel from defending itself. And if Iran won’t act, we should back… https://t.co/TddG5wPay9
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 21, 2026
In a separate post, the 62-year-old dismissed the idea of the U.S. unilaterally seizing control of the strait, responding to Senator Lindsey Graham's warning that Trump will take the Strait of Hormuz by force if this deal falls through. "We'll charge a fee for all those who go through to pay for the operation... if Iran contests control of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, we'll obliterate them." In a Substack article, McFaul went further, arguing that the memorandum of understanding had damaged American national interests.
You can only “take the Strait of Hormuz” with a ground invasion of Iran. We found out the hard way an air campaign can’t dislodge Iran’s control of the Strait.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 21, 2026
But this is what the Iran hawks want. Full blown war. https://t.co/HIw2ENR646
Vance had declared the strait open, pointing to 16 million barrels of oil moving through the waterway as proof of the deal's success—but McFaul's scepticism appears to reflect broader public sentiment. About two-thirds of US adults, 65 percent, disapprove of how Trump has handled the Iran situation, suggesting the administration's victory narrative has struggled to land with the American public.
BREAKING: Iran says its negotiating delegation will not return to the Switzerland talks until Trump personally apologizes for his threats today and Israel fully withdraws from southern Lebanon, with Iran's delegation plane already repositioned to Zurich ready to fly back to…
— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) June 21, 2026
Meanwhile, Vance met with Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Switzerland on Sunday, with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar also present for a round of technical talks aimed at fleshing out the interim agreement. But progress appeared limited—after Trump threatened Iran on Truth Social over its support for proxies in Lebanon, the Iranian delegation walked out of the negotiating site in protest, according to the Associated Press.
"Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Qalibaf hit back swiftly, warning: "They would do better to be careful about their statements. Our armed forces are prepared to respond to them in a different manner. They may keep talking, it is we who act."
