Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Newsmax on Friday that he will back President Donald Trump on a tentative U.S.-Iran memorandum to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but warned the deal must permanently block Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or unilateral control of the waterway.

Stutzman spoke on "Ed Henry: The Big Take" as negotiators closed in on a memorandum of understanding that would extend the ceasefire, require Iran to clear mines from the strait within 30 days, bar Tehran from imposing tolls and commit the regime to never procure or develop nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the framework would also dismantle Iran's program and open a 60-day window for technical talks once signed.

"I would like to see the IRGC removed and eliminated and give the country back to the Iranian people, but I'm going to trust President Trump on this one," Stutzman said, using the abbreviation for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Stutzman also called Trump "the strongest negotiator, the strongest diplomat that we've had since Ronald Reagan."

If the president believes the deal is sound, he added, "then we, you know, need to move forward."

Stutzman said a conclusion was overdue because the standoff is "affecting the American people," but drew two hard lines: Iran's leaders must have "no nuclear weapon capability" and "can't control the [Strait of Hormuz] all by themselves."

He warned against letting the Revolutionary Guard "regrow, to metastasize and develop their military capabilities and ultimately a nuclear bomb."

On gasoline prices, which AAA said averaged $4.26 per gallon nationally last week after peaking above $4.55 before Memorial Day, Stutzman conceded that "nobody likes higher gas prices" but said the politics had shifted.

"It's nice to see Democrats actually fighting for lower gas prices as well," he said. "That's a new one for us."

Hoosiers, he said, remain behind the president.

"Indiana is Trump country," Stutzman said, citing the May 5 primary in which Trump-backed challengers ousted six state senators who had blocked a GOP redistricting push.

He said younger constituents were the most vocal, calling it frustration rather than complaint.

"We've come off a high-inflationary period during the Biden years," he said, and voters "see the fact that the costs were just starting to come down. And now gas prices are back up. And that's kind of the, you know, the indicator in our minds of where the economy is at."

Stutzman pointed to Friday's SpaceX initial public offering, which opened on the Nasdaq at $150 a share, 11% above its $135 IPO price, as evidence of underlying strength.

"I'm still just amazed at even the SpaceX IPO today, how much money is invested there," he said, predicting the economy will "bounce back quickly."

The memorandum has not been signed.

Iran has said it could return to war if the terms of a deal are not honored, and U.S. forces shot down two Iranian drones near the strait early Friday after Tehran's forces reportedly fired on a transiting vessel.

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