US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy sharply criticized Washington’s newly announced “D-Day” sanctions on Iran, describing them as a desperate and performative attempt by the Trump administration to conceal what he called America’s severe failure in the military conflict with Tehran. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Murphy said Iran was winning the war while Trump was losing, with ordinary Americans paying the price.

Murphy said Iran did not have complete control of the Strait of Hormuz before the war, but now holds full control over the strategically important waterway. He also said Tehran had kept 30 of 33 missile bases near the strait intact, while the United States had used up nearly all of its weapons stockpile.

According to Murphy, Iran now holds the main bargaining advantage on the battlefield, meaning the new sanctions would not alter Tehran’s policy position. He questioned the scope for further US restrictions, saying Washington had already sanctioned virtually everything possible in Iran. Murphy said the conflict was largely nearing its end and characterized current US policy as a show intended to hide failure.