Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Newsmax on Saturday that the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding has accomplished one concrete thing so far: reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and pushing global oil prices lower, even as Washington and Tehran trade conflicting signals about whether the waterway is fully clear.

The interview on "Saturday Report" aired amid dueling statements from U.S. Central Command, which said all American blockade enforcement has ceased, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps radio message warning vessels against entering the strait.

Iran's Foreign Ministry later said shipping is "currently underway" under the MOU signed June 17.

Fine framed the mixed messaging as predictable.

"We have to keep in mind that we are negotiating with evil people, Muslim terrorists, that for 47 years have screamed death to America and have killed thousands of Americans. And they're not going to turn over a new leaf overnight," he said.

"But what I will say is this: the MOU really accomplished one thing: it reopened the Strait of Hormuz and allows Iranians to sell their oil, which will actually lower prices around the world."

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that more than 12.5 million barrels of oil moved through the strait overnight, the highest single-night volume since the war began in late February. Fine, citing Vance, put the figure at "16 million barrels."

Vance also said U.S. naval forces had allowed more than a dozen ships to transit to Iranian ports.

"Everything else appears to be subject to negotiation, and those will happen," Fine said.

Pressed on whether Iran should be earning any revenue at all, Fine pushed back on the premise.

"Iran was selling oil prior to the conflict beginning. One of the things is we had sanctioned the oil, but they were still selling it to China and other countries. So it's not as though after 47 years, they're now able to sell oil," he said.

"What they are able to do is they're able to sell their oil on the world market, which benefits them a little bit, but it also benefits the United States because it means the global supply of oil is greater because the Iranian oil is included."

Fine said Iran is leaving the war economically gutted.

"Their country was destroyed over the last few months; it's estimated $1 trillion worth of damage. Their currency is in free fall. Their people are in trouble," he said.

Asked whether Tehran could redirect oil revenue to Hezbollah, Fine acknowledged the risk but dismissed it as marginal.

"Could they take some of that money and divert it to Hezbollah? Sure. But what's clear is that Hezbollah already has money and is acting, and stopping that isn't affecting them in any way, shape or form," he said.

"So I think continuing the discussions and trusting President Trump is a good thing. And we'll see what happens. I'm not super optimistic, not because I don't trust President Trump, but because I don't trust the Iranians."

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