Jake Sullivan, who served as national security adviser under President Obama and helped craft the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, took aim at the Trump administration’s Iran strategy on Friday, arguing that a tentative agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz represents the least damaging path forward for a White House that has run out of options.
Speaking on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” Sullivan said President Trump is seriously considering the 60-day memorandum of understanding because “he does not have a good alternative.” The deal, first reported by Axios, would extend a fragile ceasefire and restart traffic through the key waterway, which carries more than 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply.
“He tried to bomb Iran, he tried to blockade Iran, he tried to bully Iran, and he is stuck,” Sullivan said. “So, this may be the best of the very bad outcomes available to him, and it just shows you what a misbegotten war this was from the beginning.”
Under the proposed terms, Iran would agree not to impose tolls on commercial vessels crossing the strait and would remove all naval mines from the area. In return, the United States would lift its naval blockade and grant some sanctions waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely. The deal also includes a U.S. commitment to discuss broader sanction relief, though it remains unclear whether frozen Iranian funds would be released in this initial phase or deferred to later negotiations.
Sullivan was sharply critical of the administration’s months-long effort in Iran, calling it “a huge strategic setback for the United States, a significant gain for Iran.” He noted that each time reports of a near-deal emerge, the terms appear to shift in Tehran’s favor. “This is the umpteenth time we’ve heard we’re very close to a deal, but every time we hear this, the terms get a little better for Iran,” he added.
The MOU also includes a commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons, though Tehran has made similar pledges before—pledges that nonproliferation experts have repeatedly questioned. The first points of negotiation would focus on disposing of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and setting limits on future enrichment activities, according to Axios.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck a harder line during a press briefing Thursday, insisting that no U.S. concessions would be on the table until Iran opens the strait and abandons its nuclear ambitions. “Nothing is going to be on the table until we see the Strait of Hormuz open and the Iranians agree that they have to turn over the highly enriched uranium,” Bessent said.
The deal comes amid broader tensions in the region and follows reports of a shooting near the vice president's motorcade that has raised security concerns. Meanwhile, the administration continues to face scrutiny over its handling of international crises, including a U.S. Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya that remains closed to returning Americans.
Critics argue that the administration’s shifting positions on Iran—from maximum pressure to a negotiated truce—reflect a lack of coherent strategy. Supporters counter that the deal is a pragmatic step to avoid a wider conflict and stabilize global energy markets. The outcome of the 60-day MOU could determine whether the two sides move toward a more comprehensive agreement or slip back into confrontation.
