On June 11, 2026, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno spoke on Capitol Hill to defend the proposed Iran deal, insisting that "there'll be not one cent of taxpayer dollar given to the Iranian government." Speaking to reporters, Moreno shrugged off questions about the massive funds Iran stands to receive under the agreement, declaring, "however else they get money, I just generally don't care as long as it's not coming from the US taxpayer."
The reaction from critics was swift and scathing. On The MeidasTouch Podcast, host Ben Meiselas mocked Moreno's indifference, pointing out that the senator seemed completely unbothered by the "three hundred billion dollars that's being given to Iran." Meiselas ridiculed the GOP's sudden policy pivot, laughing that "they went from regime change, total surrender, only capitulation to, 'Yeah, if we could route that US taxpayer money through Qatar, we good with this.'"
As the details of the memorandum are set to be officially released, Moreno has indicated he remains in close contact with the White House and expects to "all be a lot smarter on Friday" once the exact terms are laid out. Whether other congressional Republicans will echo his relaxed stance on Iranian funding, or if the administration will face a deeper party revolt over the weekend, remains to be seen.