President Donald Trump launched an attack on Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware on Monday, denying reports that his administration is pursuing nuclear negotiations with Iran similar to former President Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Trump’s outburst came after Coons appeared on Fox News Sunday, citing CNN reports that the Trump administration had discussed providing Iran with up to $30 billion for civilian nuclear energy programs while easing sanctions. Coons noted that Trump appeared to be “moving towards negotiation and offering Iran a deal that looks somewhat similar to the Iran deal that was offered by Obama.”
Just before 3 a.m. on Monday, Trump responded on Truth Social with a forceful denial. He declared that he is “not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama, who paid them $Billions under the stupid road to a Nuclear Weapon JCPOA,” and insisted he was not even talking to Iranian officials since the United States had “totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.”
The confrontation stems from Trump’s decision in 2018 to withdraw from Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran, which prompted Tehran to accelerate its nuclear program, according to reporting by Axios. This escalation ultimately led Trump to authorize bombing attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21, followed by his announcement of a ceasefire.
Trump’s pattern of lashing out at senators who oppose his agenda has become increasingly frequent. The President recently targeted Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina after Tillis voted against Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” domestic policy package. Following Trump’s criticism, Tillis announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection in 2026.
In his retirement statement, Tillis indicated that he preferred spending time with family rather than navigating what he described as political theater and partisan gridlock in Washington. Trump had threatened to meet with potential primary challengers to run against Tillis, writing that numerous people had come forward wanting to challenge the senator.
The President has also directed criticism at other Republican senators who have opposed elements of his legislative agenda. In early June, Trump attacked Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky over his opposition to the tax and spending bill, claiming Paul “votes no on everything” and suggesting his ideas were impractical.
Trump’s frustration with Iran intensified after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared victory over Israel in a video statement. The Iranian leader claimed the United States had been dealt a severe blow and that Israel would have been completely destroyed without American intervention. This prompted another lengthy Truth Social post from Trump on Friday.
In that post, Trump claimed he had saved Khamenei from what he called a very ugly death, stating he knew exactly where the Iranian leader was sheltered and could have allowed Israeli or American forces to terminate him. The President expressed disappointment that Khamenei had not thanked him for his restraint.
Trump also revealed that he had been working to remove sanctions on Iran but dropped those efforts following Khamenei’s statements. He warned that Iran needed to rejoin the world order or face worsening consequences, suggesting that diplomacy often achieved more than confrontation.
The conflict began when Israel bombed Iran on June 13, with Israeli officials stating they were attempting to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development. The situation escalated through multiple rounds of retaliation before Trump announced a ceasefire, though both sides have since accused each other of violations.
Intelligence assessments suggest that American strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities may have only set back the country’s nuclear program by several months, contradicting Trump’s claims of complete destruction. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned whether Trump’s assertion that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were obliterated represented a misrepresentation to the American people.
The administration postponed a classified House briefing on the Iran situation from Tuesday to Friday, with Speaker Mike Johnson indicating that senior administration officials would present the latest information about Israel and Iran. Jeffries expressed concern about the delay and demanded answers about the true extent of damage to Iranian nuclear facilities.
