Pete Hegseth believes the reopening of the Hormuz Strait is dependent on the success of the Iran deal.

The Trump administration is making moves towards signing a memorandum of understanding with Iran in hopes of finding a resolution to the ongoing conflict between the two nations. This agreement could potentially lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for discussions on Iran's nuclear program. Despite tensions in the region and recent Israeli strikes, senior US officials appearing on Sunday news programs remain confident that the agreement will be completed.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in an interview with CBS News that, from what he knows, everything is on track and it's just a matter of when, not if, the agreement will be reached. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, also expressed President Trump's determination to see the agreement through and stated that the negotiation teams are working hard to make it happen. The proposed memorandum would be the first step towards ending the months-long conflict that has disrupted the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz.

The administration hopes that this agreement will ultimately lead to the reopening of the waterway and the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program. Hegseth emphasized that the arrangement will be performance-based and that Iran will only receive benefits if they comply with their commitments. Waltz added that the US expects Iran to not only abandon key elements of their nuclear program, but also end their support for regional proxy groups.

He stated that highly enriched uranium, enrichment capabilities, and support for terrorist proxies must all come to an end. The administration also made it clear that they do not want this deal to be compared to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Obama. Hegseth argued that the previous deal was a path to a bomb, while the proposed agreement will serve as a wall to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

However, some former officials involved in the Obama-era negotiations have expressed doubts about the potential deal. Former President Obama himself stated that it is unlikely that any agreement will be significantly different or an improvement from the original deal. Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who helped negotiate the 2015 agreement, warned that the process of reaching a final arrangement could take longer than the 60-day framework currently being discussed.

In summary, the Trump administration is working towards a memorandum of understanding with Iran in the hopes of ending the conflict and addressing concerns about their nuclear program. While there is still some skepticism from former officials, the administration remains confident that the agreement will be reached and that it will be an improvement from the previous deal.