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Some Senate Republicans endorsed the administration’s position on Thursday, arguing that rejecting the arms sales would be overly blunt with unintended consequences at a time when tensions with Iran have escalated.

The question the Senate will consider, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader said, “is whether we’ll lash out at an imperfect partner and undercut our own efforts to build cooperation, check Iran, and achieve other important goals, or whether we’ll keep our imperfect partners close and use our influence.”

But the administration’s argument ultimately fell flat even for some of the president’s closest allies, like Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who co-sponsored the legislation with Mr. Menendez.

“While I understand that Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of Mohammed bin Salman cannot be ignored,” Mr. Graham said. “Now is not the time to do business as usual with Saudi Arabia. I am also very concerned about the precedent these arms sales would set by having the administration go around legitimate concerns of the Congress.”

The original legislation Mr. Menendez and Mr. Graham introduced would have forced senators to vote on 22 separate resolutions of disapproval, one vote for each arms sale. But a deal struck with Mr. McConnell narrowed that number down to three — and also ensured that the Foreign Relations Committee will take up a bill sponsored by Mr. Menendez that would curtail the ability of the president to use emergency authority to sell arms.