An initial diplomatic agreement between the United States and Iran has been signed, and intensive negotiations are underway to fully end the war. For the deal to hold, the U.S. Congress must take decisive steps to ensure its implementation—and to hold accountable those who profited from the conflict.
The agreement, while imperfect—largely due to President Donald Trump's disastrous war that eroded U.S. leverage and interests—should not be rejected simply because it comes from this administration. The critical question is how Congress can transform this pause in hostilities into a durable peace, rather than a prelude to the next round of war.
Given the immense human loss, destruction, and global stakes, ending the war is paramount. But peace must not lay the groundwork for a return to conflict or inspire its repetition elsewhere. The political and financial costs of ending this war should fall on those who aided and profited from it. The challenge is whether we build the safeguards to make the peace last.
The Fragile Foundation of Peace
As early as June 2025, it was clear that accepting Trump's false narrative of absolute victory—claiming to have fully obliterated Iran's nuclear sites—would not end U.S.-Iran tensions. Any peace will remain fragile if the conditions that produced the war persist: the might-makes-right mindset that proved hollow against Iran's strategic resilience; the preference for militarism over diplomacy, from Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to President Joe Biden's failure to pursue a serious alternative to "maximum pressure" sanctions; and the unconditional support for Israel even when it runs counter to U.S. interests.
For Asian nations, this deal has profound implications. Iran's strategic resilience has reshaped energy markets and security calculations across the Indo-Pacific. As Trump's Iran deal: Realpolitik wins as coercive diplomacy pays off notes, the agreement reflects a shift in U.S. strategy that could stabilize oil supplies and reduce tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for Asian economies like Japan, South Korea, and India.
However, the deal's fragility is underscored by ongoing disagreements between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As Trump and Netanyahu at odds over Iran deal as Lebanon stalemate deepens reports, the rift could undermine the agreement's longevity, especially if Israel continues to oppose any diplomatic resolution that leaves Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact.
Holding War Profiteers Accountable
To make the peace stick, Congress should investigate and penalize those who profited from the war. This includes defense contractors who lobbied for the conflict, officials who pushed false intelligence, and financiers who funded the war machine. The goal is not revenge but deterrence: to ensure that the next generation of leaders thinks twice before embarking on similar adventures.
Congress should also mandate transparency in the peace process. The full text of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, as revealed by Trump, shows that the deal includes concessions from both sides. Lawmakers must ensure that these commitments are verifiable and enforceable, and that any violations trigger immediate consequences.
Moreover, Congress should condition future military aid to Israel on its adherence to the peace framework. As How Iran turned the tables on Trump and Israel in the 2026 war details, Iran's strategic resilience forced a recalculation in Washington and Tel Aviv. The lesson is clear: diplomacy, not militarism, is the only sustainable path forward.
For Asian capitals, the stakes are high. A stable Iran deal could reduce the risk of a broader Middle Eastern war that would disrupt energy supplies and trigger refugee flows. But a failed peace could embolden hardliners in Tehran and Washington, leading to renewed conflict that would destabilize the entire Indo-Pacific region.
Congress now has a choice: to treat this deal as a temporary truce or to build the institutional safeguards that make peace permanent. The latter requires holding war profiteers accountable—and ensuring that the costs of war are never again externalized onto the innocent.
