“It is best if it is ratified by Congress; it has a more lasting effect on it,” Lankford said during an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
He said President Donald Trump is seeking to end what he described as Iran’s long-standing attacks against Americans, U.S. assets and American allies in the region.
“To try to end that forever helps us in this generation and in future generations,” Lankford said.
The senator also criticized the Iran nuclear deal negotiated during former President Barack Obama’s administration, saying he expects any agreement reached under Trump to be significantly stronger.
According to Lankford, the Obama-era deal was never ratified by Congress, which allowed Trump to withdraw from it during his first term in office.
He argued that the previous agreement merely delayed Iran’s path toward obtaining a nuclear weapon rather than permanently preventing it.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement that limited Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. In a recent social media post, he described the deal as a pathway to a nuclear weapon and insisted that his proposed agreement with Iran would achieve the opposite outcome.
The comments come as U.S. and Iranian officials signal that negotiations are nearing completion on a deal intended to end the conflict that began in late February following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
In response to the attacks, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil supplies, triggering increases in oil and fuel prices around the world.
Trump recently stated that the agreement was expected to be signed soon and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately afterward.
While he provided few details, Trump said the deal would guarantee that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said negotiations appear closer to a final agreement than ever before.
Speaking on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it is only a matter of time before both sides sign a memorandum outlining the terms of the agreement.
He described the arrangement as performance-based and said the United States would verify compliance. According to Hegseth, nuclear materials would be removed or destroyed, Iran’s nuclear programme would be dismantled and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would remain unrestricted.
Hegseth added that the United States would maintain whatever military posture is necessary to ensure Iran complies with the agreement during the implementation period.
Previous reports indicate the deal could include a 60-day extension of the ceasefire. Earlier ceasefire efforts collapsed amid renewed strikes, although the large-scale military operations seen at the start of the conflict have not resumed.
Lankford acknowledged that he has not yet reviewed the details of the proposed agreement but said preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and ending threats posed by what he described as a terrorist nation would represent a major achievement for the United States.
However, uncertainty remains. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iranian officials had not yet approved the final deal, while Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said an agreement would not be signed as scheduled because of what he described as inconsistencies from the other side.
