A growing coalition of Republican senators moved Saturday to demand formal congressional review of any nuclear agreement between the Trump administration and Iran, escalating a confrontation with the White House over what critics call a dangerous softening of American negotiating positions.

The push came one day after the Trump administration publicly stated it was no longer primarily concerned about Iranian ballistic missiles — a significant departure from longstanding US policy and a key demand in previous nuclear negotiations. The statement drew immediate alarm from hawkish lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who warned the concession undermines regional security and emboldens Tehran.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Republicans, led by ranking members aligned with Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, circulated a letter Saturday calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to schedule an emergency hearing and invoke the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which requires Congress to have the opportunity to review and vote on any nuclear accord before sanctions relief takes effect.

The development follows Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei branding President Trump 'desperate' in remarks Friday, even as the US Navy lifted a naval blockade in the Gulf region. Analysts noted the dual signals — an apparent diplomatic opening alongside sharp Iranian rhetoric — suggested negotiations remain unstable and that domestic political pressure on both sides could derail any agreement before it is finalized.

The White House declined to confirm the specific terms under discussion, with a spokesperson saying only that negotiations were 'productive' and focused on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Democrats, meanwhile, warned that any deal struck without congressional buy-in would repeat what they called the structural weakness of the 2015 JCPOA, which was never ratified as a treaty and was subsequently withdrawn from by Trump himself during his first term.