Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is backing President Donald Trump’s newly announced agreement with Iran aimed at formally ending the conflict between the U.S. and Tehran, while also raising questions about the economic commitments tied to the deal and whether similar attention is being paid to struggling American communities.
Khanna joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss the agreement, which includes commitments related to Iran’s future economic development and reconstruction and has drawn criticism and praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Khanna said he supports ending the conflict through diplomacy, but argued the agreement comes with tradeoffs that deserve closer scrutiny. He pointed to provisions he said could require raising roughly $300 billion for Iran’s economic development and reconstruction, though he noted the funds would not come directly from U.S. taxpayers.
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“We’re going to be on the hook to raise $300 billion for Iran’s economic development and reconstruction, not U.S. taxpayer money, but raising that money. Why aren’t we focused on the economic development and reconstruction of Middleton, Ohio? Johnstown, Pennsylvania,” Khanna said.
The comments reflect a broader debate in Washington over how the U.S. balances foreign policy priorities with domestic economic concerns. Communities across parts of the industrial Midwest have spent decades grappling with factory closures, job losses and population decline, making investment in manufacturing and economic development a recurring political issue.
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Khanna argued that while Trump has promoted efforts to revive American industry, more should be done to support manufacturing regions.
“What about the heartland and the building up of places that were industrialized? That simply hasn’t happened,” Khanna said.
Despite his concerns, Khanna urged fellow Democrats to support the agreement, saying he believes diplomacy remains preferable to a prolonged conflict.
“Americans are tired of these wars. They don’t want wars in the Middle East. They don’t want to be dragged in,” Khanna said. “They want diplomacy. Diplomacy actually is better than these wars.”
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