Hegseth says Sunday signing stays on track after Beirut strikes — Pete Hegseth Face The Nation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on pete hegseth face the nation that the planned US-Iran memorandum signing was still moving ahead after Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 14, 2026. He said the talks were on track for Sunday and did not expect the Lebanon strikes to disrupt the process.

“From all I know, we are on track,” Hegseth said. He added, “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Beirut strikes on June 14

The Israeli Defense Force said its strikes in Lebanon were retaliation for strikes on Israel. Hegseth said the fighting should not derail the memorandum signing, even as the air campaign continued around Beirut's southern suburbs.

CBS learned that the potential US-Iran truce includes a vague reference to ending the fighting in Lebanon. Hegseth said, “I think those talks will continue, and if Iran wants this to hold, they need to- they need to pull back Hezbollah, no doubt.”

Hegseth's Iran terms

Hegseth said the deal was performance-based and that no money would be released to Iran until they perform. He also said, “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, never. Full stop.”

He said the nuclear material would be destroyed and removed and the nuclear program would be dismantled. That leaves the Sunday signing as the immediate test: whether the memorandum advances on schedule while the Lebanon strikes continue in the background.