President Donald Trump is under fire from members of his own party after reports surfaced that his administration is considering releasing as much as $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets as part of negotiations to end the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.

The proposed agreement would reportedly release roughly half of the funds upfront in exchange for what officials described as a memorandum of understanding rather than a formal peace deal. The arrangement would mark a sharp political turn for Trump, who spent years attacking former President Barack Obama over the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

During both of his presidential campaigns, Trump repeatedly criticized Obama for sending “pallets of cash” to Tehran. Now, critics inside the Republican Party argue Trump risks making a similar concession after months of military escalation in the Middle East.

The conflict began after U.S. strikes against Iranian targets on Feb. 28. Trump initially promised swift military success, saying the operation would cripple Iran’s missile capabilities and weaken the country’s regional influence.

But with oil prices climbing and global markets rattled by instability near the Strait of Hormuz, the White House has increasingly signaled interest in a negotiated settlement.

On Monday, Trump appeared to soften his previous demands regarding Iran’s uranium stockpile.

“The enriched uranium (nuclear dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The statement represented a notable shift from earlier administration demands that Iran surrender its uranium directly to the United States.

The possibility of releasing billions in frozen assets has angered some Republicans, particularly defense hawks and longtime Iran critics.

“The rumored 60-day ceasefire — with the belief that Iran will ever engage in good faith — would be a disaster,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) wrote Saturday on X.

The political optics could become especially difficult for Trump heading into the midterm election cycle. Republicans spent years attacking Obama’s Iran deal as weak and dangerous. Some conservative commentators now argue the current proposal risks looking even less substantial because it appears tied to only a temporary ceasefire framework.

Only about $2 billion of the frozen Iranian assets are held directly in the United States. The remaining funds are reportedly tied up in international banking systems and sanctions agreements involving foreign governments and the United Nations.

That means any release would likely require coordination with allied nations and legal mechanisms designed to prevent the money from funding Iran’s military or nuclear programs.

Trump has continued defending the negotiations publicly while insisting Iran’s nuclear capabilities will ultimately be dismantled. Still, some Republicans remain skeptical that Tehran will follow through on any long-term agreement.

For a president who campaigned on projecting strength overseas, the negotiations now risk becoming a political liability at home, especially among the MAGA voters who once applauded his hardline stance on Iran.