Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) on Monday suggested Secretary of State Marco Rubio should be waiting in the wings to handle negotiations with Iran if Vice President JD Vance can’t get a long-term agreement with Tehran over the finish line.
Vance is in Switzerland this week with Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to meet with Iranian officials to negotiate a “road map” for a final peace deal to end the conflict in the region.
Sheehy, the youngest Republican in the chamber, said Vance and his team are “fantastic” and could secure a deal, but having a different face on deck for negotiations should be Plan B.
“I think having Marco off to the side, of course, to have round two, should this fail, and we have to go back to kinetic strikes and go back for another round, would be good, probably to have a different face in the room for that second round,” the senator said.
Rubio, who is typically the administration’s go-to guy on foreign policy, has positioned himself far from the Iran talks despite having previously been involved in the early weeks of the war. On Monday, it was announced that Rubio would be leaving Tuesday for a trip to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain — all countries that have been a part of the Iran conflict.
Sheehy also voiced skepticism that Iran is engaging in peace talks in good faith, saying that Tehran is performing its usual “rope-a-dope” in order to buy time until President Donald Trump’s time in office comes to a close.
“What we’re seeing now is what the rope-a-dope they usually perform, which is buy time, try to lead us along until hopefully President Trump and this team is out of office and they can re-up their campaign,” Sheehy said.
When asked if Iran is aware of the midterm elections, which could make Trump reluctant to take action that could further impact gas prices and costs for Americans, Sheehy said Tehran is aware of the political climate, but so is the negotiating team.
“I think the vice president, his team, are aware of that, which is why they’re trying to put structural controls in place, but a piece of paper is not going to do that,” Sheehy said, referring to U.S. negotiators pushing for inspections of Iran’s nuclear program to ensure it is no longer enriching uranium.
A former Navy SEAL, Sheehy emphasized that the Iranian regime isn’t interested in making a deal because its goal is to see the destruction of Western civilization, championing Trump’s efforts for putting Tehran in “a position of weakness they’ve never been in before.”
Sheehy’s interview caught the eye of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who voiced staunch support for his colleague’s take.
VANCE EXPLAINS TRUMP’S THREATS DURING NEGOTIATIONS AS RESPONSE TO IRAN’S ‘TRASH TALK’
“If you’re looking for a U.S. Senator who understands the real nature of the Iranian regime and the way forward for the United States, this is a must-watch interview,” Graham said in a post sharing the interview. “Simply put Senator @TimSheehyMT nailed it when he said the goal of the Iranian theocracy is to create a master religion for the world. As Senator Sheehy said, this isn’t what he thinks, it’s what Iran believes and they are acting on those beliefs every day.”
Graham, an Iran hawk, advocated escalated military action throughout the war and like Sheehy, said Trump should consider further strikes on Tehran is negotiations fall through.