Whether Trump and Iran afford them that chance remains to be seen. Iranian military officials said Saturday that they have once again taken “strict control”of the Strait of Hormuz because of the ongoing U.S. blockade, a mark of just how fragile and possibly fleeting progress may be. The move came as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats fired on a tanker attempting to pass through the strait.

While it may seem early to pop the champagne —Iran, for example, also denied that it agreed to move its enriched uranium to the U.S. as Trump claimed — the solace is in proportion to just how miserable things had looked only a few days ago. The trick now, Republicans say, is keeping the distractions to a minimum — no small task when the leader of the party is one social media post away from a new controversy. Success also rests on the administration’s theory of a quick economic rebound proving accurate — and voters feeling the relief.

“Short term, certainly relieved, but it’s the mini political hand grenades that continue to be challenging,” said one GOP donor, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Rather than be able [to] solely focus on tax refunds this week, members got questions about the pope and the ballroom.”

The frayed nerves underscore just how deleterious the last few weeks have been for the GOP’s supporters and strategists. The war with Iran was never popular, fractured the MAGA base and raised questions about the president’s position on a core movement principle. Polls show the House is likely lost and the Senate could be in play. And the spike in gas prices could negate one of the president’s signature achievements — a massive tax cut that was supposed to line voters’ pockets and stimulate the economy. Along the way, a feud with the pope, a setback in the war and Viktor Orbán’s loss in Hungary gave the impression of an administration at the mercy of events rather than in control of them.